Gabriel Landeskog’s goal early in the third period gave the Colorado Avalanche a lead they would not relinquish, sealing a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night in Toronto. Landeskog’s strike came just 51 seconds after Jack Roslovic had equalized for the Maple Leafs at 3-3, tipping the momentum sharply in Colorado’s favour.
The Avalanche extended their lead through Devon Toews, who contributed a goal and an assist, along with Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas, who scored into an empty net to round off the scoring. Cale Makar assisted twice while Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves to support the win.
Toronto’s Darren Raddysh opened the scoring with a shot reaching 92.89 miles per hour, marking the fourth fastest shot resulting in a goal across the NHL this season. Raddysh also added an assist, and Eason Cowan matched that contribution with a goal and an assist of his own. Roslovic, returning from a lower-body injury, found the net for Toronto as well. Sergei Bobrovksy finished with 22 saves but could not keep the Maple Leafs in the game.
The defeat marked Toronto’s fourth consecutive loss and their sixth defeat in seven games, a troubling run for the team on home ice. Roslovic and defensive stalwart Chris Tanev returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils. However, the team’s injury list remains significant. Morgan Rielly is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and Colton Sissons, Kirill Marchenko, Marshall Rifai, and Nick Blankenburg are all sidelined and listed as week-to-week.
Makar, who left Sunday’s practice with an unspecified injury, participated fully in the Avalanche’s morning skate and declared himself ready for Tuesday’s game. His two assists were part of Colorado’s offensive efforts that outmatched Toronto’s defence.
The Maple Leafs’ struggles were visible not only in the scoreboard but also in their inability to maintain momentum after Roslovic’s equalizer. Landeskog’s goal shifted the dynamic, and Colorado capitalised on that advantage to pull away.
Colorado will travel to Ottawa to face the Senators on Thursday, while Toronto prepares to host the Minnesota Wild on the same day.
According to Yahoo Sports.