Matthews, Marner lead from front, Woll’s 38 saves, and more: 3 reasons for Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 win over Lightning

The Toronto Maple Leafs survived a third-period surge from the Tampa Bay Lightning to secure a 5-3 win Saturday night at Amalie Arena. The game marked the return of Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who had missed nine games with an upper-body injury.

Matthew Knies opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 7:13 of the first period. Chris Tanev, Nick Robertson, and John Tavares each scored in a dominant second period, while William Nylander added an empty-netter in the third to seal the victory. Michael Eyssimont, Jake Guentzel and Cam Atkinson scored for the Lightning.

Here’s a breakdown of the three key reasons why the Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning on Saturday night.

3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Tampa Bay Lightning

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#1. The Leafs rode a strong second period for the win

The Maple Leafs entered the first intermission with a one-goal lead but came out firing in the second period, scoring three times to take a commanding 4-0 lead heading into the third.

The Leafs scored two goals less than a minute apart. Tanev got his first goal of the season, while Nick Robertson tallied his first since Oct. 22. Tavares added a backhander for his 10th goal of the season. The four-goal cushion ultimately proved decisive.

#2. Joseph Woll solid again

Joseph Woll made 38 saves, continuing his strong recent form. After a shaky start to the season, Woll has rebounded, allowing three or fewer goals in each of his last five starts, including a shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 20.

On Saturday night, Woll was effective again, especially in the third period. While the Leafs gave up three goals in the second half of the third, Woll stood tall. He made a pivotal blocker save on Brayden Point in the final seconds to preserve the two-goal lead. Earlier, Woll robbed Eyssimont on a first-period breakaway to keep the game at 1-0.

Woll’s performance was a bright spot, particularly after Anthony Stolarz surrendered five goals against the Florida Panthers in Toronto’s previous game.

#3. Matthews, Marner lead the way

The biggest storyline on Saturday night was Auston Matthews’ return to the lineup after missing nine games with an upper-body injury. Matthews notched two assists, setting up Knies’ opening goal and Nylander’s empty-netter.

Matthews’ overall performance was highly encouraging for the Leafs. Mitch Marner also contributed two assists, while Tanev recorded two points (1G, 1A), rounding out a strong team performance.

The Leafs will get Sunday off before taking on the Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night.