TORONTO – Auston Matthews scored twice as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Boston 2-1 on Saturday night to snap the Bruins’ seven-game winning streak.
Mitch Marner had two assists for Toronto (6-4-2). Ilya Samsonov made 13 saves before leaving the game after two periods with a knee injury.
Erik Kallgren stopped seven shots the rest of the way for the Leafs.
Brad Marchand, on a second-period penalty shot, replied for Boston (10-2-0). Linus Ullmark made 26 saves for the Bruins, who entered as the NHL’s top team based on points percentage.
Matthews, who led the league with 60 goals last season on the way to capturing his first Hart Trophy as MVP, found the back of the net just once in the first seven games of 2022-23, but now has five in his last five contests.
The sniper broke a 1-1 tie at 14:07 of the second period with his second of the evening on a simple tap-in at the lip of Ullmark’s crease for his sixth of the campaign following a terrific individual effort from William Nylander on a power play.
Kallgren, who’s the Leafs’ No. 3 option with Matt Murray (groin/abductor) on long-term injured reserve, replaced Samsonov to start the third, and after Toronto couldn’t connect on two man-advantage opportunities, was bailed out by his post on a David Pastrnak shot.
The Leafs then killed off two Boston power plays with desperate defending that continued late with Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker.
Coming off Wednesday’s victory over Philadelphia that snapped an ugly four-game slide and relieved some of the pressure on under-fire head coach Sheldon Keefe, the Leafs opened the scoring at 7:19 of the first when Matthews fooled Ullmark after the Bruins goaltender lost track of the puck behind his net.
Toronto captain John Tavares, who had a hat trick Wednesday, rang a shot off the crossbar early in the second before taking a penalty that led to Boston’s equalizer.
With the Leafs down a man against the NHL’s highest-scoring team, T.J. Brodie tripped Marchand on a breakaway to set up the winger’s slick deke that had Samsonov completely fooled to tie the game for the Bruins.
Marchand’s fourth goal in four games after starting the season on LTIR was the 800th point of his career, making him the seventh player in franchise history to reach the milestone.
The 34-year-old also tied Mario Lemieux for second all-time with his sixth successful penalty shot, one back of Pavel Bure’s record seven.
Denis Malgin then hit Toronto’s second post of the period before Matthews pushed the home side in front for good.
BRUINS REACT TO MILLER
A day after Boston signed controversial defenceman Mitchell Miller, who had his draft rights relinquished by Arizona in 2020 for bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities when the player was 14 years old, some of the Bruins’ leaders were asked about the move.
Patrice Bergeron said general manager Don Sweeney broached the possibility of adding Miller to the organization with him last week, and Boston’s captain made it clear he had concerns.
“The culture that we built here goes against that type of behaviour,” the 37-year-old said following Saturday’s morning skate. “In this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect.”
The Bruins said they agreed to the deal with Miller after several weeks of evaluation. The 20-year-old said Friday he would continue to participate in community programs to both educate himself and share the story of his mistakes.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters in Finland ahead of Saturday’s game there between Colorado and Columbus that Miller is not currently eligible to play in the league — and may never be.
Boston forward Nick Foligno called the signing “hard to swallow” in the locker room.
“Tough thing to hear for our group,” he said. “I’m not gonna lie to you.
“I don’t think any guy was too happy.”
AUBE-KUBEL CLAIMED
The Leafs lost Nicolas Aube-Kubel on waivers to the Washington Capitals.
The 26-year-old winger signed in the summer after winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado, but never found his footing in Toronto.
Aube-Kubel didn’t register a point in six games for the Leafs.
UP NEXT
Leafs: Visit Carolina on Sunday.
Bruins: Host St. Louis on Monday.
