TORONTO (Interstat) — Dennis Hildeby made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season, backstopping the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. Morgan Rielly opened the scoring with a backhand goal at 16:26 of the first period, assisted by Easton Cowan and John Tavares. Auston Matthews sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final second of the third period. The Lightning, shut out for a second consecutive game, were held scoreless despite a 29-28 shots advantage. Tampa Bay’s frustration showed in a multi-fight altercation late in the third period. Toronto improved to 14-15, while Tampa Bay fell to 16-13.

TORONTO (Interstat) — Dennis Hildeby stopped all 29 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season and the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a two-game home losing skid with a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews provided the offense, but the story was the 6-foot-7 Swedish goaltender Hildeby, who was sharp throughout to backstop a critical defensive effort for a Maple Leafs team that had been inconsistent in its own end. “He was our best player tonight, no question,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Hildeby. “When we needed a save, he was there. He controlled his rebounds, he was calm, and he gave us a chance to build our game.” The win improved Toronto’s record to 14-15, pulling them closer to the .500 mark, while Tampa Bay fell to 16-13. Hildeby, who had allowed just three goals on 58 shots in his two previous starts, continued his strong run. His most notable sequence came early in the second period during a Tampa Bay power play, where he made a sprawling left-pad denial on Brayden Point from the slot and quickly recovered to stop a Jake Guentzel rebound attempt. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now,” said Maple Leafs captain John Tavares, who assisted on the opening goal. “He’s big, he’s positionally sound, and he’s not giving up second chances. That’s huge for our group.” Toronto opened the scoring at 16:26 of the first period. After sustained offensive zone pressure, rookie Easton Cowan retrieved a loose puck along the wall and fed Tavares at the right circle. Tavares quickly sent a pass across to Rielly, who moved into the high slot and fired a backhand shot that beat Tampa Bay goaltender Jonas Johansson for his fifth goal of the season. The Lightning, who were shut out for the second time in three games after a 2-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday, generated chances but could not solve Hildeby. They held a 12-11 edge in shots in a scoreless second period, with Anthony Cirelli leading the charge with four shots on goal for the game, but the Toronto netminder was equal to every test. Tampa Bay’s frustration began to show in the third period. At the nine-minute mark, a scrum erupted after a knee-on-knee hit by Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves on Dakota Mermis. It resulted in a series of penalties, including a fight between Tampa Bay’s Max Crozier and Toronto’s Dakota Joshua, and a game misconduct to Goncalves. The Maple Leafs sealed the victory in the final minutes. With Tampa Bay pressing for an equalizer, Matthews intercepted a clearing attempt at the Toronto blue line, raced the length of the ice on a partial breakaway, and snapped a wrist shot past Johansson for his 12th goal of the season with just 2:01 remaining. “We played a solid 60-minute game, which we’ve been stressing,” Matthews said. “We defended well, we didn’t give them much, and Hildeby was unbelievable. It’s a good template for us moving forward.” Johansson finished with 24 saves for the Lightning, who have lost three straight. They went 0 for 2 on the power play, while Toronto was 0 for 3. “We had our looks, but their goalie played well,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re in a bit of an offensive rut right now. We have to find a way to get to the interior and make it harder on opposing goalies. We didn’t do that enough tonight.” The game’s projected total of two goals fell well under the over/under line of 5.5, highlighting the defensive and goaltending duel. Toronto, which had been installed as a 1.5-goal favorite, covered the spread with the two-goal victory. The Maple Leafs will look to build on the win when they host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. The Lightning, concluding a brief two-game road trip, travel to face the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Preview: Lightning at Maple Leafs TORONTO (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Lightning look to rebound from a rare loss when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in a Monday night matchup at Scotiabank Arena. The Lightning (16-11-0) saw a five-game winning streak snapped in a 4-3 home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Despite the defeat, forward Brandon Hagel stayed red-hot, scoring two goals and firing seven shots on net. Hagel has been a driving force for Tampa Bay, recording 10 goals and five assists over his last nine games. “We played well enough to win in a lot of areas, but we made a couple of mistakes that ended up in our net,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the Pittsburgh game. “The response on the road is what matters now.” The Maple Leafs (13-14-0) enter on a high note after a convincing 5-1 road victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, also on Thursday. Center Bobby McMann led the charge with two goals, continuing his own surge with five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his last three contests. “When you get contributions throughout the lineup, it takes pressure off everyone,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “We need to build on that energy at home.” The game features a contrast in recent trajectories. Before its loss to Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay had won eight of nine, showcasing its potent offense. Toronto, after a sluggish start, has shown signs of life by winning three of its last four, including impressive road wins over Carolina and Florida. Key matchups will include Tampa Bay’s top line, featuring Hagel and Nikita Kucherov — who had a goal and 10 shots against Pittsburgh — against a Toronto defense seeking consistency. The Maple Leafs will rely on McMann’s recent form and the perennial threat of Auston Matthews, who scored his team-leading 18th goal against Carolina. In net, Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected for Tampa Bay, while Toronto will likely start Joseph Woll, who made 32 saves in the win over Carolina. This is the first of three meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals this season. The Lightning currently sit in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, while the Maple Leafs are three points back, looking to climb into the playoff picture. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. Following the game, Tampa Bay travels to Montreal on Tuesday, while Toronto hosts the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.