Ducks Fall to Maple Leafs in Overtime After Intense, Hard-Fought Game

Tavares’ Late Goal Leads Maple Leafs to Dramatic Overtime Victory Over Ducks

In a thrilling finish, John Tavares redirected a shot from Morgan Rielly into the net with just five seconds left in overtime, securing a 5-4 comeback victory for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.

The Maple Leafs faced a steep challenge, overcoming a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period. Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot proved pivotal, beating Ducks goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes remaining in regulation.

However, the excitement was far from over. Leo Carlsson, who had hobbled off the ice after a hard hit earlier in the third period, managed to gather a loose puck near the left circle and scored to level the game at 4-4 with 1:39 left on the clock.

Tavares also contributed a goal in the first period, while Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves on 32 shots. The win came after a tumultuous day for the Maple Leafs, who had fired general manager Brad Treliving earlier that day amid concerns over the team’s playoff prospects for the first time in a decade.

In the first period, both Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier found the net for the Ducks, with John Carlson scoring his first goal for the team. Gauthier, the Pacific Division-leading Ducks’ top scorer with 38 goals and 65 points, was sidelined due to an upper-body injury after a cross-check late in the first period. Husso recorded 22 saves during the game.

Ducks captain Radko Gudas, nursing a lower-body injury, insisted on competing in the rematch following a controversial March 12 game where he injured Toronto’s Auston Matthews, resulting in Gudas receiving a five-game suspension.

The intensity of Monday’s matchup was evident from the very start, with Toronto forward Max Domi and Gudas immediately dropping the gloves in a pre-game fistfight, setting the tone for a hard-hitting encounter that accumulated a combined 85 penalty minutes. The physical play led to multiple scuffles and game misconducts for the Maple Leafs’ Michael Pezzetta and Domi in the second period.

Next, the Ducks will travel to San José for their upcoming game on Wednesday.