Maple Leafs score three in the second, comeback 3-2 against Canucks
The Toronto Maple Leafs trailed 2-0 after the first period but used the second and third to close out the Vancouver Canucks 3-2.
Borje Salming was honoured tonight ahead of the game and received another long and loud ovation from the Leafs faithful at the Vault. He dropped the ceremonial puck to with his family after an emotional tribute.
Toronto did their best to honour one of their greats with a win. Head coach Sheldon Keefe shuffled the lines but elected to start his Swedish players, William Nylander, Calle Jarnkrok and Pierre Engvall up front. Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren on defense and Erik Kallgren in net.
Mitch Marner and William Nylander swapped spots on the right side, Nylander moving up to the first line and Marner moving down to play with John Tavares and Alex Kerfoot.
Vancouver scored two goals in the first period. Captain Bo Horvat has been on a tear of late, he potted his 13th of the season just under four minutes into the game. JT Miller followed this up on the powerplay with his eighth on the year putting the Nucks up two.
Erik Kallgren got the nod in net following a losing effort in last night’s game. The back-up right now is Keith Petruzzelli. He has not touched NHL ice yet.
Following the two Kallgren gave up, he stood tall stopping the next 22 he faced. He finished with 27 saves and grabbed his second win.
The Leafs took over from there.
Auston Matthews, who has not been himself, looked like his former 60 goal self with a wicked wrister from the dots on the powerplay, beating Spencer Martin upstairs to cut the lead in half.
With an assist on the goal, Marner extends his very quiet point-streak to nine games, where he’s posted two goals and 11 assists for 13 points.
Engvall scored his second of the season through a mad scramble in front to tie the game.
The game winner, however, came from an unexpected member of the team. Jordie Benn, making his debut with the team potted a bank off the end boards from a Morgan Rielly shot at the halfway mark of the second to give the Leafs the lead. It was announced right before puck drop that Benn was filling in for T.J Brodie. Brodie was scratched for the contest, but it is still unclear why.
With the loss, Vancouver continues to struggle, blowing their sixth multigoal lead of the season.
Toronto improves to 8-5-3, good for second in the Atlantic division.
They travel to Pittsburgh for a rematch against the Penguins Tuesday.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Matt Murray is aiming to be the starter Tuesday.
TOR Scoring: Matthews PP (7), Engvall (2), Benn (1)
VAN Scoring: Horvat (13), Miller PP (8)