Red Wings Rally to Beat Maple Leafs 3–1 at Scotiabank Arena
Matthews scores early, but Detroit takes control in the third
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs couldn’t hold an early lead on Thursday night, falling 3–1 to the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena as the visitors scored three unanswered goals in the third period.
Auston Matthews gave Toronto a 1–0 advantage just two minutes into the game, converting on the power play from Matthew Knies and captain John Tavares. That early strike, however, would be the Leafs’ only goal of the night.
Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot settled in after the opening minutes, stopping 18 of 19 shots, while the Red Wings’ offence came alive late. Captain Dylan Larkin tied the game at 5:04 of the third, followed by Alex DeBrincat’s go-ahead goal seven minutes later. Rookie defenceman Elias Finnie added an insurance marker with 1:23 remaining to seal the win.
Y’all know the rules 😉 https://t.co/Fpuhl8mvyW pic.twitter.com/suodj6CdpF
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 3, 2025
Anthony Stolarz turned aside 39 of 42 shots in the loss and was named the game’s second star for his performance. DeBrincat earned first-star honours, while Larkin was named third star.
Toronto’s power play went 1-for-3, while Detroit was held scoreless on six opportunities with the man advantage. Attendance was 17,846.
What It Means
The Leafs fell to 2–3 in preseason play as the club continues to evaluate its lineup ahead of opening night. Stolarz’s strong showing in net was a bright spot, while discipline and five-on-five scoring remain key areas to fine-tune before the regular season begins.
Game Summary
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Final Score: Detroit 3 – Toronto 1
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Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
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Shots on Goal: Detroit 42 | Toronto 19
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Power Plays: Detroit 0-for-6 | Toronto 1-for-3
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Three Stars:
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Alex DeBrincat (DET)
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Anthony Stolarz (TOR)
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Dylan Larkin (DET)
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