Matthews denied hat trick record, Maple Leafs lose to Blackhawks

In a power play, Tyler Johnson extended the lead to 3-1 at 17:05 after receiving a pass from Athanasiou, maneuvering past the defense, and swiftly scoring with his glove side. This goal marked the Blackhawks’ first successful power-play attempt in 17 opportunities this season.

Coach Keefe expressed his concerns about the team’s sloppy puck handling in the first period and their vulnerability to counterattacks in the second period.

Soderblom made an outstanding, acrobatic save with his left toe on Tavares with 3:07 left in the third period when Woll was pulled from the net, preserving the 3-1 lead.

Soderblom described the save as crucial and impactful but didn’t assert it was the best of his career. Nonetheless, it occurred at a decisive moment in the game.

During the final 3 minutes and 58 seconds, Toronto played aggressively with an extra attacker on the ice.

Richardson applauded Soderblom’s performance, particularly in the final moments of the game, praising his ability to defend against the opposing team’s strong presence in front of the net.

Just before the final buzzer, Taylor Hall scored an empty-net goal at 19:05. However, the goal was disallowed by the officials after Toronto successfully challenged for an offside violation.

With only seven seconds remaining, Matthews believed he had scored a redirected goal. However, the goal was overturned after Nylander was deemed offside when entering the zone.

Entwistle acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining a two-goal lead in the third period against an offensively skilled team. Despite the challenge, the team remained consistent in their gameplay, executing impressive blocks and receiving exceptional goaltending from Soderblom.

Taylor Raddysh secured a 4-1 victory with an empty-net goal at 19:54.

NOTES: Matthews recorded eight shots on goal in 25:49 of ice time, while Bedard had four in 18:35. Perry has accumulated four points in his first four games with the Blackhawks, matching his performance in his rookie season with the Ducks in 2005-06. Vlasic and Chicago defenseman Seth Jones each had a plus-3 rating.