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National Hockey League
Toronto 5, Calgary 3
When: 9:30 PM ET, Monday, April 5, 2021
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Referees: Eric Furlatt, Graham Skilliter
Linesmen: David Brisebois, Scott Cherrey
Attendance: N/A

Auston Matthews scored twice, including the game-winning goal midway through the third period, to lead the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday.

Goaltender Jack Campbell made 26 saves for Toronto to tie a franchise record with nine consecutive wins to start a season.

Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds and John Tavares also scored and William Nylander notched two assists for Toronto, which is on a 7-0-1 roll that has solidified its spot atop the North Division. The Maple Leafs finish the season with an impressive 8-0-1 road record against the Alberta teams.

Mikael Backlund scored twice for the struggling Flames. Andrew Mangiapane added a goal, and Elias Lindholm had two assists. Jacob Markstom stopped 25 shots in his 300th career game, but Calgary lost its fourth straight games and fell to 1-8-0 in the past nine. This defeat was as disappointing as any because the Flames drew even after trailing 2-0 and 3-2.

With the score tied 3-3, Matthews scored Toronto's first power-play goal in 12 games -- snapping an 0-for-29 swoon -- with a rebound tally for his league-leading 27th of the season with 9:10 remaining in regulation.

Now at 185 career goals, Matthews moved past Jimmy Carson for the most goals in NHL history among U.S.-born players within their first five seasons.

Tavares capped a two-point game, which gives him 801 points in his career, with an insurance goal 80 seconds later that rounded out the scoring.

After a scoreless first period, Spezza opened the scoring early in the middle frame by converting his own rebound at 3:10. Matthews doubled the lead with his textbook wrist shot from the slot at 7:53 of the period.

Then came goals in waves. Mangiapane gave the hosts a boost when he buried a rebound with 1:54 remaining in the second period, and Backlund snapped an eight-game drought when he evened the count early in the third period.

Simmonds restored the Toronto lead at 7:13 of the final period by redirecting a long shot from his knees, but Backlund's second of the game, a short-handed goal, tied the contest just past the midway point of the frame.

That set the stage for Matthews and Tavares to score the decisive goals.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   Calgary
Auston Matthews 2 Points Mikael Backlund 2
Auston Matthews 2 Goals Mikael Backlund 2
William Nylander 2 Assists Elias Lindholm 2
Auston Matthews 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals Mikael Backlund 1
Jack Campbell .897 Save Percentage Jacob Markstrom .833
Jack Campbell 26 Saves Jacob Markstrom 25
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Toronto 30 5 1-4 1-1 2 29
Calgary 29 3 0-1 3-4 8 37
Upcoming Games
  • Calgary will play their next game at home against Vancouver. The Flames have a W/L % of .375 after a win and .435 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game at home against Montreal. The Maple Leafs have a W/L % of .680 after a win and .615 after a loss.