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The Minnesota Wild handed the Toronto Maple Leafs a fifth consecutive regulation home loss on Thursday, winning 5-2 at Scotiabank Arena. Matt Boldy delivered the decisive blow, completing his second hat trick of the season and the sixth of his career early in the third period.
Boldy Seals the Game with Third Goal
Boldy’s hat trick goal came after a costly miscommunication between Maple Leafs winger William Nylander and defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The pair got their wires crossed off the rush, opening a clear lane for Boldy to finish. Michael McCarron also scored for Minnesota, while Danila Yurov added an empty-net goal late. Kirill Kaprizov contributed three assists, and Yurov picked up an additional assist for a two-point night.
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Jesper Wallstedt made 26 saves in goal for the Wild, who improved to 14-3-4 on the season. Minnesota has now gone 8-0-2 over their last 10 games. Their previous regulation loss came against the Calgary Flames on October 22.
Leafs Struggling Through Difficult Homestand
Toronto dropped to 8-11-2 with the defeat. The Maple Leafs have now gone 1-7-0 over their last eight games. Thursday’s result marked the first of five remaining games in what has become a difficult six-game homestand.
Veteran defenceman Chris Tanev sat out again due to load management. It was his second absence in three games. Fellow blueliner Morgan Rielly also remains sidelined with a lower-body injury, adding to Toronto’s growing injury list.
Key Moment and Notable Statistic
A penalty by Toronto defenceman Darren Raddysh midway through the second period proved costly. Boldy converted on the resulting power play to tie the game 2-2, shifting momentum firmly toward Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes picked up an assist on Boldy’s second goal. The assist extended Hughes’ point streak to at least 10 games for the third time in his career. That achievement ties Phil Housley for the second-most such streaks by an American defenceman in NHL history. Brian Leetch leads the list with four.
On the injury front, Wild defenceman Brock Faber could return to action this weekend. Faber suffered a fractured skull during pre-season play and has been sidelined since.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Both clubs return to action on Saturday. The Maple Leafs host the Edmonton Oilers at home, looking to end their losing streak. The Wild, meanwhile, travel to Boston to face the Bruins as they look to extend their strong recent form.
