Maple Leafs' quick third period flurry stuns Blackhawks

Field Level Media|published: Tue 16th December, 22:17 2025

Dec 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) battles for the puck with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (48) during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs scored twice in eight seconds late in the third period Tuesday night and they went on to defeat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.

Auston Matthews scored on a power play at 16:51 of the third period to tie the game at two. Dakota Joshua came right back to score the go-ahead goal at the 16:59 mark.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored in the third period for the Maple Leafs, who snapped a two-game skid and completed a 2-1-2 homestand.

Matthews added an assist and William Nylander had two assists. Goaltender Joseph Woll returned from injured reserve and made 23 saves. He missed four games with a lower-body injury.

Wyatt Kaiser and Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost three straight. Spencer Knight stopped 24 shots.

Joshua pinged the right post from seven feet out at 9:07 of the first period.

Chicago took the lead at 10:21 of the first on Kaiser's 34-footer from the high slot with Dominic Tonanito perched at the edge of the crease.

Chicago put the puck in the net at 11:27 but it was erased for goaltender interference.

The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead with a short-handed goal at 14:58 of the first period on Dickinson's wrist shot from the right circle on Ilya Mikheyev's pass at the end of an odd-man rush.

The Maple Leafs started the second period with more energy and came close to scoring a short-handed goal in the early going. Play evened out for the rest of the period with no goals.

Toronto opened the third period with a power play for 44 seconds on a carryover penalty from the second, but failed to capitalize.

The Maple Leafs scored at 9:59 of the third when Ekman-Larsson's shot from the point found its way through traffic and clipped off a Blackhawks' defender.

Matthews' tying goal came with Toninato off for holding the stick. Joshua won a race to the puck on Troy Stecher's dump-in off the faceoff to get the winner.

The Blackhawks were without their leading scorer, Connor Bedard, who is on IR with a shoulder injury.

Chicago's Artyom Levshunov was a healthy scratch for arriving late to practice on Monday.

--Field Level Media

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