Steven Lorentz scored a short-handed goal in the third period to break a tie and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Auston Matthews also scored for the Maple Leafs (41-24-3, 85 points) and Joseph Woll was strong in making 38 saves. Toronto split a four-game homestand.
Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche (41-25-3, 85 points) and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 24 shots.
Colorado buzzed around in Toronto territory early in the first period and took nine of the game’s first 10 shots on goal, but most of them were from longer range. Woll did a good job of tracking the pucks through traffic.
Toronto bounced back and had a solid chance, but William Nylander’s backhand shot on a partial breakaway was foiled at 10:52 of the first.
Matthews scored on a power play at 0:28 of the second period, when his shot from a sharp angle was deflected into the net by Colorado’s Devon Toews. Jack Drury was serving a high-sticking penalty assessed late in the first period.
Colorado countered with Nichushkin’s power-play goal at 2:48 of the second, after Nathan MacKinnon’s pass found him in the slot. Brandon Carlo was off for tripping.
The Maple Leafs picked up the tempo and kept the pressure on, with Matthews ringing a shot off the crossbar at 5:16 of the second. Jake McCabe’s shot also hit the crossbar at 7:48.
Colorado finished the second period with a surge, and Woll was particularly tested in the final minute by MacKinnon.
The Maple Leafs caught a break during an Avalanche power play. Toronto’s clearing attempt hit an official in the neutral zone, and Lorentz completed the rush with a short-handed goal on a rising shot at 2:53 of the third period.
Toronto kept Blackwood busy in the middle port of the third, which limited Colorado’s chances to press for the tying goal.
Blackwood was removed for an extra attacker with fewer than two minutes to play. Matthews and Matthew Knies both missed on long shots at the vacant goal that resulted in icing calls.
–Field Level Media
