Maple Leafs Shine in 5-3 Victory Over Tampa Bay at Scotiabank Arena
TORONTO — In a thrilling Monday night clash at Scotiabank Arena, the Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a commanding 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, delighting a packed crowd of 19,123 fans. The Leafs showcased their depth and firepower, with standout performances from forward Matthew Knies, who earned the game’s first star, and Mitch Marner, who played a pivotal role in securing the win.
The Leafs struck early in the first period, with Auston Matthews netting his 19th goal of the season at 4:06, assisted by Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Toronto controlled the pace, outshooting Tampa Bay 11-6 in the opening frame and taking a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
In the second period, William Nylander extended Toronto’s lead with his 28th goal of the campaign, converting a crisp pass from Morgan Rielly at 13:45. Tampa Bay responded three minutes later, as Nick Paul buried his 12th goal, narrowing the gap to 2-1. However, the Leafs regained momentum just before the period’s end, with Knies scoring his first of two goals at 19:37, assisted by Marner and Matthews.
LEAFS WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIN!@LGCanada | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/RrL41gh816
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 21, 2025
The third period was a high-intensity affair. Darren Raddysh brought the Lightning within one at 8:07, only for Knies to strike again on the power play at 10:09, assisted by Marner and Bobby McMann. Tampa’s Nick Paul responded with a power-play goal of his own two minutes later, but Marner sealed the win with an empty-netter at 18:55, capping off a stellar night.
Goaltender Joseph Woll was a steady presence in net, turning aside 27 of 30 shots for Toronto, while Jonas Johansson made 23 saves for Tampa Bay.
The Leafs’ special teams were decisive, going 1-for-1 on the power play and limiting Tampa to a single power-play goal on two attempts. Toronto also dominated at even strength, scoring four of their five goals at 5-on-5.
Matthew Knies led the team with two goals and an assist, while Marner contributed a goal and two assists to earn the second star. Auston Matthews rounded out the three stars with a goal and an assist.
The Leafs will aim to carry this momentum forward as they prepare for their next matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.