Flames end Maple Leafs' win streak as Gridin scores twice

Explainer

The Calgary Flames defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Monday, extending their own win streak to four games while halting Toronto's at four. Rookie forward Matvei Gridin led the way with two goals and an assist for his first three-point game in the NHL. The Flames completed a perfect four-game homestand, while Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews recorded his 800th career point in the loss. "Four (wins) in a row, we're playing great hockey right now and just keep doing that," Gridin said.

Gridin opened the scoring at 10:05 of the first period, snapping a shot from a sharp angle past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Mikael Backlund, returning from a two-game absence with an upper-body injury, doubled the lead just 1:45 later. Gridin then made it 3-0 just 25 seconds into the second period with a power-play goal. "He's a talented young man and he shoots the puck really well," Flames coach Ryan Huska said. "That's one of his strengths, for sure, how he gets it off quickly and it's hard."

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How did the Maple Leafs respond?

Easton Cowan got Toronto on the board at 12:54 of the second period, redirecting a Troy Stecher slap pass past Flames goalie Devin Cooley. William Nylander cut the deficit to 3-2 at 6:06 of the third period, finishing a cross-crease pass from Jack Roslovic. The comeback attempt ended there, as Joel Farabee and Martin Pospisil scored empty-net goals in the final 90 seconds. "Turned the puck over way too much," Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller said. "I thought, over the last four games, we'd taken that out of our game. It was there in spades tonight and you can't win in the League if you do that."

What milestone did Auston Matthews reach?

Matthews assisted on Nylander's third-period goal to record his 800th career NHL point. He reached the milestone in his 703rd game, making him the fastest player in Toronto Maple Leafs history to do so. The previous record was held by Darryl Sittler, who hit 800 points in his 742nd game in 1980. Matthews is also the second-fastest U.S.-born player to reach 800 points, behind only Pat LaFontaine, who did it in 664 games in 1993. "I think they just got to their game really quick," Matthews said of the Flames. "They played simple. I thought we were a little bit loose with the puck halfway through the first period and just got away from what's making us successful."

What was the significance of the win for Calgary?

The victory ended an eight-game losing streak against the Maple Leafs, which was Toronto's longest active winning streak against any opponent. Calgary had not beaten Toronto since Feb. 10, 2022. The win also marked a career-high fourth consecutive start for goaltender Devin Cooley, who made 26 saves to improve his record to 4-2-0. Backlund's first-period goal was the 609th point of his career, tying him with Johnny Gaudreau for fifth place on the Flames' all-time scoring list. "It's always a good atmosphere against the Leafs here at home, and we wanted to quiet their fans and make it our building," Backlund said.

Was there an injury in the game?

Maple Leafs forward Kirill Marchenko left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. He fell awkwardly into the boards after a hit from Calgary's Yegor Sharangovich, played one more short shift, and then exited. "I don't have the full update," Hiller said. "He couldn't come back and finish the game, so that's never a good sign." The Flames reported no new injuries from the contest. Both teams are back in action on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs continue their road trip with a visit to the Seattle Kraken, while the Flames head north to face the Edmonton Oilers.

With files from The Globe and Mail, Yahoo Sports and Bozeman Daily Chronicle