Maple Leafs pad North Division lead with win against Jets
The Toronto Maple Leafs scored two goals in the opening 1:18 and held on for a 5-3 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place on Thursday.
Auston Matthews scored his 34th goal with two assists, Mitchell Marner scored two goals with an assist, and Nick Foligno had an assist in his debut with the Maple Leafs (29-13-5), who lead the Scotia North Division. Jack Campbell made 34 saves.
Mark Scheifele and Andrew Copp each had a goal and an assist for the Jets (27-16-3), who are second in the division. Laurent Brossoit made 25 saves in relief of Connor Hellebuyck, who allowed three goals on six shots in through 11:59 of the first period.
Matthews scored 27 seconds into the first period, and Wayne Simmons scored at 1:18 to give the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead.
Scheifele cut it to 2-1 at 3:19, and Copp tied it 2-2 at 10:26.
Toronto took a 3-2 lead when Jason Spezza scored at 11:59. Hellebuyck was pulled after the goal.
Marner gave the Maple Leafs a 4-2 lead at 12:58 of the second period.
Kyle Connor scored to make it 4-3 at 17:56.
Marner scored into an empty net, with Foligno getting an assist, at 19:54 of the third period for the 5-3 final.
Jets forward Adam Lowry did not return for the second period after taking a hit to the head in the first period.
LEAFS WIN!
A Thursday thriller in Winnipeg!#LeafsForever #FuelledByG @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/W6P28Wa4uY
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 23, 2021
Voila! 🪄#LeafsForever | @Molson_Canadian pic.twitter.com/B5f5vxNxPy
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 23, 2021
Nick Foligno makes his Leafs debut tonight.#LeafsForever | @bochnereye pic.twitter.com/kQULyYoT9a
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 22, 2021