Matthews scores 30th goal in OT, Maple Leafs rally past Ducks

ANAHEIM -- Auston Matthews scored his 30th goal of the season at 2:12 of overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame 55 saves from Lukas Dostal in a 2-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday.

Matthews won it with his 13th shot on goal of the game, a one-timer from the right face-off circle off a feed from Mitchell Marner. He has scored at least 30 goals in each of his first eight NHL seasons.

"He's found another level here in the last month or so," Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. "He's been great for us. I think we've been playing a much better team game here of late, and we really like to see that. That's important, but within the team game, you need difference-makers to step up and do their thing, and certainly Auston's done that."

John Tavares tied it with a power-play goal in the third period, and Martin Jones made 27 saves while starting for the second straight night for the Maple Leafs (19-10-7), who won 3-0 at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday to end a three-game skid (0-2-1).

Toronto outshot Anaheim 22-7 in the third.

"We probably could have done a little better job of just trying to make it difficult on [Dostal] in seeing things and trying to create second and third opportunities, but just a good job of staying with it and getting rewarded at the end," said Tavares, the Maple Leafs captain.

Frank Vatrano scored short-handed for the Ducks (13-23-1), who are 1-4-1 on their eight-game homestand.

Dostal’s 55 saves set a franchise record in a regular-season game; John Gibson made 53 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 10, 2023.

“Obviously, it’s my job, right?” Dostal said. “The game started and I had a couple of chances, and obviously I got a little lucky too they didn’t score. That helps you, too, that you can build up some confidence and feel good in the net.

“… You’ve got to go by the pace. It’s your job if it’s a 20-shot or 40-shot, at the end of the day I’m just trying to make sure I try to stop every single puck. That’s my job. I don’t really worry about how many shots it is.”

Tavares ended Dostal’s shutout on Toronto’s fifth power play to tie it 1-1 at 14:17 of the third, scoring on a rebound of William Nylander’s shot from in front of the crease.

"Whatever energy they build 5-on-5, they amplify with the power play," Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. "Dostal kept us in there, and it's a shame he couldn't get the win."

Vatrano gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 11:41 of the second period while Anaheim forward Alex Killorn was in the penalty box serving a roughing penalty. Vatrano received a centering pass from Mason McTavish in front of the crease and had time to fake a shot before lifting the puck into the net with a backhand for his team-leading 18th goal of the season.

Dostal made 18 saves in the scoreless first period, including one on a breakaway by Nylander at 17:48.

"When he's on his game, he's an elite goalie," Cronin said. "He's terrific. He's quick. When he's out, he's attacking, he's an aggressive goalie, he's hard to beat. He's not one of the 6-foot-5 guys; he's a smaller guy, but he's really quick and when he gets out and challenges, he's hard to beat."

Ducks defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin also denied Matthews a goal in the first when he stuck out his stick and knocked the puck away just before it crossed the goal line at 3:42.

"He's doing it every night with the amount of looks he gets, and, obviously, how elite of a player he is and how he's always able to find space and create opportunities for himself, or obviously knowing where to be on the ice to get pucks off the pass," Tavares said of Matthews.

NOTES: Matthews became the first Maple Leafs player with 30 goals in 35 games or fewer since Frank Mahovlich in 1960-61. He moved into a tie for fourth with Tony Amonte for the most 30-goal seasons by a United States-born player. … Anaheim rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov went to the dressing room at 6:37 of the second period after getting hit into the boards near center ice by Toronto forward Bobby McMann, resulting in a five-minute major boarding penalty and a game misconduct. Mintyukov returned later in the period. … Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas and forward Ross Johnston were out with illnesses, and forward Ryan Strome is day to day with an upper-body injury. … Anaheim forward Troy Terry was placed on injured reserve before the game; he sustained an upper-body injury in a 2-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday. … Ducks center Adam Henrique won 18 of 28 face-offs (64.3 percent).