Auston Matthews returned to the Maple Leafs’ line-up, scored a hat-trick, and led Toronto to a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena.
The game was looking bleak early. The Jets jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead. Gabriel Vilardi opened the scoring for Winnipeg off a three-on-two break, converting a cross-ice pass from Mark Scheifele and beating Joseph Woll at 14:09. Dylan Demelo scored his 2nd of the season at 17:38, a bomb from just inside the blue line to extend the margin.
Matthews put Toronto on the board early in the second period. Maxi Domi found the Leafs’ captain surging to the front of the Jets’ net. Matthews deflected the Domi pass by Eric Cormie to make it 2-1.
Winnipeg responded 37 seconds later. Alex Iafallo snapped a backhand past Woll, restoring the two-goal advantage.
Scheifele then pushed the lead to 4-1 with his 19th of the season, slamming home a Vilardi pass from in front of the crease. That goal ended Woll’s night. Denis Hildeby replaced him.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson drew the Leafs closer with his 7th of the year at 11:04 of the period. Steven Lorentz forced a turnover. Scott Laughton tracked the puck down and centred it to Larsson, who wristed it past Comrie to make it 4-2.
Matthews scored his second of the game with three seconds left in the period, narrowing the margin to 4-3.
Toronto squared the score at 6:30 into the third period. Matias Maccelli fired home a shot from the face-off dot by Comrie for the 4-4 tie.
Winnipeg regained the lead on Scheifele’s second of the game, a power-play goal at 8:50.
But the Leafs would not be denied. Troy Stecher blasted home a goal from just outside the circle to re-tie the game 5-5 at 13:13. Then, with just over four minutes left, Toronto completed the comeback. Comrie misplayed the puck. It squirted out to the front of the net, where Matthews swept in and notched his hat-trick and the game-winner.
Next up, the Leafs travel to New York to take on the Islanders Saturday night.
