Max Domi and Matthew Knies each scored a pair of goals to lead the Leafs past the struggling Calgary Flames 4-3 at the Scotiabank Arena Tuesday night.
Morgan Frost put Calgary ahead early in the first period. Nazem Kadri made an end-to-end rush, danced through the Leafs’ defense, and dropped a pass to Jonathan Huberdeau, who found Frost driving to the net. The Flames forward rifled it past Toronto net-minder Anthony Stolarz to make it 1-0.
Max Domi’s goal at the 3:13 mark of the second period drew the Leafs even. The winger walked into the circle, toe-dragged, then whistled one to the back of the Calagry net to make it 1-1.
Toronto dominated play throughout much of the second frame, but could not manage the go-ahead goal. On their heels, the Flames retook the lead late in the period. Joel Farabee snuck the puck through Stolarz at 17:57 to make it 2-1. But the Leafs kept the pressure on, and with just 36 seconds remaining in the period, William Nylander created a turnover deep in the Calgary zone that Matthew Knies converted into his third goal of the season.
Tied 2-2 in the third, Toronto went ahead on a Knies power-play goal. It was not pretty, but it counted. A scramble in front of the Flames’ net caused goalie Dustin Wolf to fall under one of his defenders away from the crease. Knies flung the puck toward the net, and it evaded the crowd that had gathered covering for Wolf. Knies’ second of the game gave the Leafs a 3-2 lead.
Calgary would not go away. With little more than five minutes remaining in the game, Morgan Rielly fired a risky cross-ice pass from his own blue line that was intercepted by Mikael Backlund, who pushed it forward to Samuel Honzek, who scored his first NHL goal to make it 3-3 . But Domi saved the day, scoring his second goal of the game off another scramble in front of the Flames’ net for the game-winner, 4-3.
The Leafs travel to Columbus tomorrow to take on the Blue Jackets.
