TORONTO — In a thrilling match on Friday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs triumphed over the Detroit Red Wings with a score of 3-1.
Mitch Marner played a pivotal role in the victory, securing both a goal and an assist, while John Tavares shone brightly with a pair of goals, one of which came as an empty-netter with 1:30 remaining in the game.
Morgan Rielly contributed to the team’s success with two assists, and goaltender Anthony Stolarz made a total of 21 saves throughout the game.

Marner’s impressive performance continues as he extends his point streak to seven games, accumulating a goal and ten assists during this span.
For the Red Wings, Dylan Larkin netted a goal, while Cam Talbot recorded 17 saves in the loss.
Toronto faced the challenge of playing without star forward Auston Matthews, who was placed on injured reserve prior to the game.
Matthews, a three-time Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy winner for being the NHL’s leading goal-scorer, also missed the team’s earlier game against the Boston Bruins, which ended in a 4-0 win for Toronto.

The game opened with a power-play goal from Marner, putting the Maple Leafs ahead at 8:48 of the first period.
Detroit answered back in the second period with a power-play goal by Larkin, equalizing the score at 9:10.
Just under two minutes later, Toronto regained the lead with Tavares scoring another power-play goal, marking the team’s second conversion of the night.

In terms of individual achievements, Larkin’s goal marked his fifth in four games, making him the leading scorer for the Red Wings this season with a total of nine goals.
The Maple Leafs demonstrated resilience, boasting a strong record of 37 wins, 19 losses, and two ties in regular-season games when Matthews is not in the lineup— a factor already proven significant during last spring’s playoffs when the team also secured a couple of victories against Boston without their star player.

A key moment in the game was Tavares’ second-period goal, breaking the 1-1 deadlock and reinforcing Toronto’s momentum with his sixth goal of the current season.
Notably, the Maple Leafs have shown remarkable improvement on the power play, converting six times on their last ten attempts after a sluggish start of just three successful conversions out of 39 opportunities.

Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs are set to host the Montreal Canadiens in their next matchup on Saturday, while the Red Wings will face off against the New York Rangers at home.