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Toronto Maple Leafs' Zack MacEwen, not seen scores on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) as Zeev Buium (8), and Toronto's Brandon Duhaime (24) watch during the second period of an NHL game in Vancouver on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
By The Canadian Press

Matthews, Nylander lead Leafs to 4-2 win over struggling Canucks

Oct 31, 2026 | 8:00 PM

VANCOUVER — Auston Matthews collected his team-leading 11th goal of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 Saturday to snap a two-game NHL skid.

William Nylander and Teddy Blueger both had a goal and an assist, while Zack MacEwen also scored for Toronto (8-6-2), which wrapped up a four-game road trip with two wins and two losses.

Brock Boeser, on the power play, and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks (3-12-1) who have one win in their last 13 games.

Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves.

Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 26 shots and also earned an assist on Blueger’s empty net goal.

Sasson made things interesting early in the third, drawing the Canucks to within a goal by scoring off the rebound of a Brendan Gallagher shot.

Matthews gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period, beating Merilainen on the short side after a pretty back-and-forth pass with defenceman Darren Raddysh.

McEwen put Toronto up two goals during a scramble at 12:34.

The teams exchanged first-period breakaway goals.

Nylander opening the scoring with the game just 83 seconds old. He scooped up a puck that bounced off Canuck defenceman Jamie Oleksiak’s stick, skated in alone and lifted a backhand past Merilainen.

Boeser tied the game about nine minutes later. With the Canucks on a power play he got behind the Toronto defence, he took a long pass on the fly from defenceman Filip Hronek and beat Stolarz.

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: Merilainen robbed rookie Gavin McKenna on a power play in the first period. Parked at the side of the net McKenna took a cross-ice pass from centre Jack Roslovic but Merilainen got a pad on his shot. … Centre Jacob Quillan, acquired Oct. 15 in a trade from Toronto, was inserted into the lineup after being recalled from Abbotsford of the AHL on Friday to replace Filip Chytil who was placed on injured reserve after reaggravating a shoulder injury in a 3-2 loss at the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. … Centre Elias Pettersson saw a six-game point streak end (2G, 5A).

Leafs: Roslovic earned an assist on Matthews goal, extending his points streak to six games (3G, 7A). … Toronto has just 28 wins in 86 games playing in Vancouver. … Former Canuck defenceman Chris Tanev and forward Dakota Joshua returned to the lineup. Joshua was playing his first game of the season after suffering a core injury late last year. Tanev missed nine games with an upper-body injury sustained Oct. 10 at Colorado. … Blueger, who spent three seasons with the Canucks, played in his first game in Vancouver since signing a two-year contract with the Leafs.

KEY MOMENT

MacEwen’s goal came when he took a shot from just inside the blue line that went off Merilainen’s glove, hit defenceman Luke Schenn on the back, then rolled into the net.

KEY STAT

Matthews has points in six of his last seven games (5G, 5A).

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.

Canucks: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2026.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press



by The Canadian Press