Maple Leafs Stars Steal Spotlight With 6-2 Win vs. Kings – Hockey Writers – NHL News

Following a loss in their season opener, the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1-0) have now won three in a row. Their most recent victory was a 6-2 finals effort against the Los Angeles Kings (1-1-2), giving them the top record in the Atlantic Division.

Toronto set the tone less than seven minutes into the first half with Bobby McMann’s tally. Max Domi and Jake McCabe provided the assists.

Less than two minutes later, captain Auston Matthews scored his first goal of the season, with assists coming from Mitch Marner and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Matthews posted the best goal total (69) seen by the NHL since the 1990s in his last campaign, so getting his first four games this season could seem like a slow start. Maybe he’s finally warming up.

Late in the first half, McMann scored his second of the night on a smart feed from William Nylander and a second assist from Ekman-Larsson. It was the first game-winning goal of McMann’s career, leading him to a team-high 18 points.

THAT MAN IS DOUBLE DIPPIN’

(in style😎) pic.twitter.com/sABmB5daDN

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 17, 2024

In the second half, Morgan Rielly added to the fun with his first of the season. McCabe and Domi had assists, making it a two-point night for both. Domi’s fifth assist in four games puts him among the leading producers of 2024-25 so far.

It took a while, but the Maple Leafs’ power play got its first tally of 2024-25 on the team’s fifth goal. Beaten by Nylander and helped by Matthews and Marner, that unit looks to be hitting the road again.

The Kings responded with two goals in the third period to make it 5-2, one by Alex Turcotte and one by Kevin Fiala, but Toronto’s John Tavares put the cherry on top with another powerful goal with less than three minutes left in the game. . Matthews and Marner each got their third point of the game in that one.

Free agent signing Anthony Stolarz lit up the Leafs, stopping 32 of 34 shots he faced. For the Kings, it was a tough night for starters David Rittich (10 saves on 14 shots) and Pheonix Copley (10 saves on 12 shots), and the latter came in to relieve Rittich in a small showing.

Next, the Kings will stay in Canada where they will face the Montreal Canadiens in a game that will be held on October 17. Toronto will return to the ice against the high-flying New York Rangers on Oct. 19.