Tavares scores 2, helps Maple Leafs defeat Red Wings

John Tavares scored twice for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings in the Hockey Hall of Fame game at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.

“Something the coaching staff talks about a lot is just grinding games out, being very comfortable in these types of games and these situations,” Tavares said. “Stay patient and earn your opportunities. Being able to grab the lead was really huge, especially going into the third. Not sitting back but we were definitely making sure they had to come through all five of us, have to play 200-foot and use a lot of energy to get up and down the ice.”

Mitch Marner scored and had an assist to extend his point streak to seven games, Morgan Rielly had two assists and Anthony Stolarz made 21 saves for the Maple Leafs (8-5-2), who have won two in a row.

“[Mitch] does a lot for us, defensively and penalty killing he’s been excellent,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “He’s a guy that reads the play really well, anticipates, breaks plays up with his stick. There’s a lot of good there with him [lately] all around.”

Dylan Larkin scored, and Cam Talbot made 17 saves for the Red Wings (6-6-1), who had won their previous two.

“It was probably a low-event type game,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “Not many chances given up. We were unable to execute in some situations. It’s going to be a frustrating result in the fact, you know, you don’t give a 5-on-5 goal, you don’t execute in some situations.”

“There’s a missed opportunity. This was an opportunity to take some points here in a tough building, and we were unable to execute in some situations.”

Tavares put the Maple Leafs up 2-1 at 11:01 of the second period on the power play. After Marner’s initial pass was disrupted by J.T. Compher, Tavares got to the loose puck in the slot, turned and shot over Talbot’s glove.

Stolarz kept it 2-1 at 15:23 of the third period when he stopped Andrew Copp, who jammed at the loose puck during a scramble in the goal crease. He ended up grabbing the puck with his bare hand after losing his blocker during the scramble.

“I told ‘Stolie’ he doesn’t really need much equipment, he’s big enough clearly,” Tavares said. “He was phenomenal again with some big saves there at the end in the third as they were trying to press.”

Tavares shot into an empty net at 18:30, stealing the puck off an errant drop pass from Moritz Seider just inside the Red Wings blueline for the 3-1 final.

“It was a tough play, slow motion almost, like what’s going on, and then Tavares threw it, and it went by and kind of on your backhand side, in a weird spot, and a puck that I want back, and it just went by,” Larkin said. “It was slow motion, and something that can’t go past me there. “

The Maple Leafs appeared to go up 1-0 at 2:01 of the first period but the goal was disallowed after the Red Wings successful challenge for goalie interference.

Marner made it 1-0 for the Maple Leafs at 11:12 of the first period on the power play when he put in his own rebound in the slot past a sprawling Talbot.

Larkin tied it 1-1 at 9:10 of the second period on the power play when he took a pass in the slot from Lucas Raymond and shot over Stolarz’s glove.

“It was two good plays they made, and you know, on the first one that they had a great drop pass by Morgan Rielly, and then Marner made a great play,” Larkin said. “So you expect that out of him and we try and keep him to the outside. We didn’t do that. And then the [Tavares goal], we didn’t get our clears. And you know, it’s something that’s probably been our biggest area of emphasis. So that one stings on Tavares’ first goal.”

Toronto was 2-for-2 on the power play, the third straight game in which they scored on the power play.

“It’s simplified, we’re attacking more downhill and getting pucks to the net area and getting rewarded for it right now which is good to see,” Berube said. “They’ve done a good job.”

Morning Skate

Game Highlights

Post-Game Press Conference