Maple Leafs Hold On for Victory Against Wild Despite Late Push

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Bo Groulx scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night. Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies also contributed goals for Toronto, while Anthony Stolarz made 36 saves. The Wild attempted a comeback, fueled by two goals from Vladimir Tarasenko, but ultimately fell short.

Wild Struggle Against Eastern Conference Opponents

This game concludes a challenging four-day stretch for the Minnesota Wild, where they earned only one point from three home games against teams from the Eastern Conference. They suffered a shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and a regulation defeat against the New York Rangers on Saturday before Sunday’s loss to Toronto.

Maple Leafs Take Control in the Second Period

After a scoreless first period, the Maple Leafs quickly gained momentum in the second. Morgan Rielly opened the scoring at 1:07 with a wrist shot, followed by Bo Groulx extending the lead to 2-0 just 68 seconds later. Groulx added another goal at 8:18, intercepting a clearing attempt and firing a shot through traffic to give Toronto a 3-0 advantage.

Tarasenko’s Quick Goals Ignite Wild Comeback Attempt

Early in the third period, Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice within 23 seconds to narrow the gap for the Wild. Assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman on both goals, Tarasenko redirected a cross-ice pass and then won a battle along the boards to beat Stolarz with a wrist shot.

Stolarz Stands Tall as Maple Leafs Close Out the Win

Despite the Wild’s aggressive push, putting 17 shots on net in the third period, Anthony Stolarz remained solid in goal. Matthew Knies sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 37 seconds remaining, finalizing the score at 4-2.

Looking Ahead

The Toronto Maple Leafs will next host the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Minnesota Wild will visit the Chicago Blackhawks on the same day.