Tavares scores go-ahead goal as Maple Leafs rally from 2 down to beat Red Wings in Stockholm
STOCKHOLM (AP) — John Tavares scored the go-ahead goal and the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from two goals down to beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Friday night as the NHL's Global Series continued in the Swedish capital.
William Nylander scored the tying goal and Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for the Maple Leafs, who trailed 2-0 after two periods.
Nylander also had two assists and extended his franchise-record season-opening point streak to 16 games. His 11 goals and 14 assists lead the Maple Leafs, who played for the first time outside North America and won their third straight game overall. Ilya Samsonov stopped 27 shots for Toronto.
“The streak for me is what it is," Nylander said. "I’m just focusing on working hard and if there is a point that happens, it happens. But the most important thing is that we get the win.”
Daniel Sprong scored on a penalty shot midway through the second period and Lucas Raymond of Sweden scored less than two minutes later for the Red Wings, who fell to 1-2-2 in their last five.
The game was the second of four over four days at Avicii Arena in Stockholm. Ottawa beat Detroit on Thursday, and the Minnesota Wild will play the Senators on Saturday and the Maple Leafs on Sunday in the first four-team series outside North America. The games are the first for the NHL in Sweden since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Maple Leafs went on attack in the final period, outshooting the Red Wings 15-10.
Nylander netted a snap shot from the slot on a power play with 6:57 remaining to tie the game and delight the fans. The Swedish citizen was born in Calgary, Alberta, while his dad, Michael, played for the Flames.
“Whether it is today, which obviously was really special for (Nylander) being at home and having the night that he did, I think it’s pretty evident what he’s done in the last 15 or 16 months to put himself in the conversation with the best players in the game,” Tavares said. “He continues to show on a nightly basis how dominant he is and the game-breaker he can be.”
Tavares snapped in a cross-crease pass from Bertuzzi with 5:33 to go.
Alex Lyon stopped 26 shots for Detroit in his first start of the season. His most recent start was for the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of last season's Stanley Cup Final, a 7-2 loss to eventual champion Vegas.
“It was a learning experience after not playing for so long,” Lyon said. “I just tried to be patient with it, try to feel it out as I go but obviously not good enough for the win tonight and that’s disappointing."
The Red Wings fell to 0-3-1 all-time in Sweden; they were swept by St. Louis in a two-game series in Stockholm in 2009.
Morgan Rielly was penalized in the second period for covering the puck with his hand in the crease, leading to Sprong's successful penalty shot.
Raymond continued a productive homecoming when he converted a snap shot from the left circle. He also scored the Red Wings' opening goal on Thursday.
“I think we played a really good first two periods and then in the third, I feel like we came out and played a bit scared on our heels and that’s when their offense starts to take over,” Raymond said.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Face the Wild on Sunday in Stockholm.
Red Wings: Return home to host New Jersey on Wednesday.
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