Max Domi scored the go-ahead goal in the third period on Tuesday afternoon and the Toronto Maple Leafs went on to defeat the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3.
William Nylander recorded two goals — one into an empty net — and two assists for the Maple Leafs, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Matias Maccelli, Steven Lorentz and Bobby McMann (empty net) also scored. Domi also had an assist while Joseph Woll made 29 saves.
Bryan Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, who have lost nine of 10. Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots.
The Penguins pushed the puck into the net during a goalmouth scramble at 7:26 of the first period, but there was no goal because of goaltender interference.
Toronto took the lead at 9:07 of the first when Nylander snapped an 11-game goal-less drought. Nylander stuffed home a backhand shot on a breakaway after batting down a Pittsburgh pass at the Maple Leafs’ blue line.
Pittsburgh responded 44 seconds later on a breakaway goal after a Toronto turnover in the Penguins’ zone. Sidney Crosby’s stretch pass sprung Rust, who lifted a backhand past Woll.
Toronto regained the lead at 13:34 when Maccelli’s pass to the slot was swiped into the net by Pittsburgh defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.
Lorentz scored at 7:38 of the second period after a breakaway, needing three whacks to nudge the puck past Skinner. Lorentz stripped the puck from defenseman Erik Karlsson and had only open ice ahead.
McGroarty wristed a 41-foot laser off the rebound after a blocked shot at 11:43 to trim the Penguins’ deficit to 3-2. Rust clanked a shot off the post at 12:04.
The period ended when Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell redirected Wotherspoon’s pass just over the crossbar.
Mantha tied the game at 1:00 of the third period when his 54-foot slap shot squeezed past Woll. Toronto regained the lead when Domi finished his end-to-end rush to score from the slot at 11:35 of the third with the teams playing four aside.
McMann scored into an empty net at 17:57 and Nylander steered one into the vacant goal at 18:36.
Toronto reinstated defenseman Chris Tanev from injured reserve. He played for the first time since Nov. 1, logging 17:23 of ice time.
–Field Level Media
