Game Recap: Maple Leafs 4, Wild 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Bo Groulx scored twice for his first multigoal NHL game, and the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Minnesota Wild in the third period for a 4-2 win at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday.

Groulx entered the night with two goals in 68 career NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks and Maple Leafs. He was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on March 10 and was playing in his fourth NHL game this season.

“Yeah, it felt really good,” said Groulx, who has three goals in those four games. “I thought I had a really tough first period. I was behind the play. I got surprised by their speed, honestly, and their execution, and came back in the second, and I know I had to regroup.

“But obviously to get the win ... it was all around a great effort from everyone.”

Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto (29-27-12), which was coming off a 3-2 shootout loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday but is 2-0-1 in its past three games. Anthony Stolarz made 36 saves.

“(Stolarz) was very good, very competitive,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “I thought the whole team was very competitive tonight. It’s a good team over there."

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice, and Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello each had two assists for Minnesota (38-18-12), which has lost three straight (0-2-1), including 4-2 to the New York Rangers on Saturday. Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves.

“I think, yes, the last two games prior to this one we didn't get off to great starts. But I think, again, when you look through it, we did a lot of things that you could win a hockey game with. Tonight is no different,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I think that there's ebbs and flows that go through the season, like sometimes you win some games that you shouldn't win, sometimes you lose some games that you shouldn't. I think that's part of it. But if we're focused in on tonight's game, I don't have any concerns about our team.”

Rielly put Toronto ahead 1-0 at 1:07 of the second period. He chipped down from the point, took a cross-slot pass from Matias Maccelli, and roofed a shot short side over Wallstedt.

Groulx extended the lead 2-0 at 2:19, deflecting Troy Stecher's shot from the right point after Jeff Petry turned the puck over to Nicholas Robertson below the goal line.

Groulx then made it 3-0 at 8:18. He scored glove side from the top edge of the left circle after intercepting Matt Boldy's blind clearing attempt into the middle of the zone.

"First (goal) was pretty lucky. (Stecher) had a really good shot to the net and he hit my skate. So, I got pretty lucky," Groulx said. "And the second one, lucky bounce in the slot. Usually down in the American League, those I like to shoot, especially from that area, and it was pretty fortunate it went in.”

Tarasenko cut the deficit to 3-1 at 4:51 of the third period, tapping in a pass from Zuccarello near the left post.

Tarasenko scored again just 23 seconds later to make it 3-2. He skated along the left boards and cut to the circle before scoring glove side with a low wrist shot through a screen.

"We had a few good forechecks,” Tarasenko said. “They make feel good plays and maybe some a little bit risky, but we were down three goals and try to make plays. And they made nice passes to me."

Knies shot into an empty net after blocking a shot from Quinn Hughes at 19:23 to seal the 4-2 victory.

“No one’s folding the tent,” Rielly said. “We’re trying to compete, we’re trying to push and play good hockey and win games. And I mean, you’re not going to win every night, but you want the compete to be there, you want the effort to be there, and I think it has been lately. We’ve got a ways to go, but we’re going to look to build off tonight.”

NOTES: Tarasenko's second goal was his 700th career point. He has 322 goals and 378 assists in 892 games with the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings and Wild. ... Knies has 57 points (18 goals, 39 assists) in 65 games this season, one shy of his NHL career high he set in 78 games last season.