Maple Leafs Rally For 4-3 Overtime Win Against Blackhawks

TORONTO (AP) — Auston Matthews scored in overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs came from behind to beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-3, on Monday night.

Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won their first three games.

Jan Rutta, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik had goals for the Blackhawks.

Frederik Andersen made 18 saves for the win while Anton Forsberg stopped 39 shots.

Outside of the opening three minutes, the first period belonged to the Blackhawks, and they went into the intermission up 2-0.

Rutta scored 3:46 into the game when he wheeled around the back of the net and tossed the puck out front, where it hit Toronto center Mitch Marner's stick and squeaked through Andersen and the post.

Eric Fehr had a great chance to tie it three minutes later, but was turned away by Forsberg, and Chicago went down the ice and doubled its advantage.

Toews made it 2-0 when he banged in a rebound over the left pad of Andersen with 12:53 to play in the first.

It could have been a three-goal edge for Chicago if Andersen didn't turn away Patrick Sharp on a breakaway late in the first.

It wasn't until the midway point of the second that Toronto picked up its pace and was awarded its first power-play opportunity after some sustained pressure by Matthews in the offensive zone.

The Leafs failed to capitalize on the man advantage, but Zaitsev put them on the board soon after, streaking in from the Blackhawks blue line and taking a pass from Brown before snapping the puck five-hole on Forsberg at 10:20.

Matthews nearly tied the game on a two-on-one rush five minutes later with a toe-drag into a wrist shot, but Forsberg stayed with him and got his right arm on the puck.

The final eight minutes of the second were filled with minor penalties and lots of four-on-four hockey, but no one was able to take advantage of the open ice.

Matthews had another good scoring chance before the period was through, but Forsberg was there again to stop him.

Toronto was behind 2-1 after 40 minutes despite outshooting Chicago 26-15.

Zach Hyman created a scoring chance for himself early in the third only to be turned aside by Forsberg.

Forsberg's play allowed the Blackhawks to restore their two-goal lead 7:52 into the third.

Panik took the puck off the end boards after it ricocheted in front from a point shot and slotted it into an empty net on the power play.

Leafs coach Mike Babcock started shuffling his lines late in the third and it paid off with two goals in less than three minutes.

First, Brown beat Forsberg with Leo Komarov setting the screen in front with seven minutes to go in regulation.

Then, van Riemsdyk tied the game on the power play, deflecting a Tyler Bozak shot past Forsberg with 4:18 remaining.

Shots were 40-21 for Toronto after regulation.

NOTES: Both clubs entered the night with a league-high 15 goals for in their first two games. ... Leafs defenseman Connor Carrick was replaced in the lineup by Andreas Borgman.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Play at Montreal on Tuesday night.

Maple Leafs: Host New Jersey on Wednesday night.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.