The Maple Leafs bounced back from their Friday loss, trouncing the Penguins 7-2 Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.
For a lineup that struggles with scoring depth, seeing seven different players brighten the goal light had to be a relief for a beleaguered Toronto coaching staff.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson kicked things off, netting his fourth of the year, 6:33 into the first. The Leafs’ blue-liner found a loose puck in front of the Pittsburgh goal and tucked it under the crossbar and over Artis Silovs to make it 1-0.
Pittsburgh responded with a Ben Kindel power-play goal about a minute and a half later. The rookie centre batted a floating puck out of the air and by Leafs’ goalie Dennis Hildeby to tie the game 1-1.
Toronto regained the lead at the 11:06 mark when their rookie, Easton Cowan, fired home a return pass from William Nylander for the 2-1 advantage.
The Maple Leafs dominated the second period, scoring three times to extend their lead. Bobby McMann struck first, deflecting a Morgan Reilly shot from the high slot past Silovs at 2:34. A little more than two minutes later, Dakota Joshua added his name to the score sheet, scoring his third of the season off a scramble out in front of the Pittsburgh net. The Joshua goal prompted a Penguins goalie change, but Tristan Jarry did not help reverse his team’s fortunes. With just over six minutes left in the period, Nicholas Roy beat the replacement netminder with his second of the season, a power-play goal set up by a Max Domi saucer pass.
The Leafs took a 5-1 lead into the final period. Pittsburgh tried to rally. Sydney Crosby inched the Penguins closer with his 16th of the season, a tap-in goal in front of Hildeby at 4:37. Â But any notion of a comeback was ended when Auston Matthews zipped one by Jarry at the 7:14 mark to make it 6-2. Nick Robertson added an unassisted goal later for the 7-2 final.
Next Up: Toronto remains on the road, travelling to Florida to take on the Panthers Tuesday Night.
