Lorentz scores short-handed winner as Maple Leafs down Avalanche 2-1

TORONTO (AP) — Joseph Woll was outstanding in making 38 saves and Steven Lorentz scored short-handed early in the third period as the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Auston Matthews, with his fourth in the last three games, had the other goal for Toronto.

Valeri Nichushkin scored for Colorado, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 24 shots.

The Leafs won their second straight after thumping the Calgary Flames 6-2 on Monday following an ugly 1-4-1 stretch.

The Avalanche, meanwhile, saw their 8-0-1 run come to an end — including a 7-4 victory over Toronto on March 8 in Denver — and lost in regulation for the first time since Feb. 23.

The Leafs are aiming for top spot in the Atlantic Division as part of a three-horse race with the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado is chasing the Dallas Stars for the Central Division’s No. 2 seed. Dallas topped Colorado 4-2 in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

Avalanche: Cale Makar picked up an assist and is one point from becoming the eighth defenseman in NHL history to hit 80 in three separate seasons. The last blueliner to accomplish the feat was Brian Leetch.

Maple Leafs: Matthews scored the 65th game-opening goal of his career to tie Dave Keon for the second most in franchise history. Mats Sundin tops the list with 67.

After the teams traded power-play goals in the second period, Lorentz scored his sixth goal of the season on the penalty kill. A clearing attempt by Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit hit referee Kelly Sutherland at center, which led to a Toronto 2-on-1 the other way that ended with Lorentz ripping a shot past Blackwood.

Toronto forward William Nylander is one point from 600.

The Avalanche visit Ottawa on Thursday. The Maple Leafs visit the Rangers on Thursday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Colorado Avalanche's Joel Kiviranta (94) attempts to intercept a pass during first period NHL hockey action against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Colorado Avalanche's Logan O'Connor (25) looks to shoot while Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) defends during first period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) shoots on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) while defended by Brock Nelson (11) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Colorado Avalanche players celebrate a goal as Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner (16) reacts during the second period of NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies (23) while Avalanche's Erik Johnson (6) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) makes a save during first period NHL hockey action against the Colorado Avalanche in Toronto on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

LONDON (AP) — Political opposition leaders in the United Kingdom have called for a human rights activist to be stripped of his citizenship over past social media posts allegedly containing violent and antisemitic language within days of the dual national returning to Britain after years in Egyptian prisons.

The leaders of the Conservative and Reform parties also demanded the deportation of Alaa Abd el-Fattah following the discovery of tweets from more than a decade ago in which he allegedly endorsed killing “Zionists’’ and police.

“The comments he made on social media about violence against Jews, white people and the police, amongst others, are disgusting and abhorrent,” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote Monday in the Daily Mail newspaper.

Abd el-Fattah on Monday apologized for the tweets while saying some had been taken out of context and misrepresented.

The activist has spent years in Egyptian prisons, most recently for allegedly spreading fake news about the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He returned to the U.K. on Friday after Egyptian authorities lifted a travel ban that had forced him to remain in the country since he was released in September.

But he immediately became embroiled in controversy after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “delighted” that Abd el-Fattah was back in the UK and had been reunited with his family.

That triggered the republication of messages on the social media platform Twitter, now X, that were described as antisemitic, homophobic and anti-British.

Abd el-Fattah expressed shock at the turn of events in a statement released Monday.

“I am shaken that, just as I am being reunited with my family for the first time in 12 years, several historic tweets of mine have been republished and used to question and attack my integrity and values, escalating to calls for the revocation of my citizenship,’’ he said.

The remarks were mostly expressions of a young man’s anger and frustrations in a time of regional crises such as the wars in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza and the rise of police brutality against young people in Egypt, Abd el-Fattah said.

“Looking at the tweets now — the ones that were not completely twisted out of their meaning — I do understand how shocking and hurtful they are, and for that I unequivocally apologise,’’ he said in the statement.

But that has not staunched the flow of anger from politicians.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage described the posts as “abhorrent” and said they showed Abd el-Fattah held views that are “completely opposed to our British way of life.”

“It should go without saying that anyone who possesses racist and anti-British views such as those of Mr. elFattah (sic) should not be allowed into the UK,” Farage wrote in a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who oversees immigration matters.

FILE - Pro-democracy activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who was in prison for almost all of the past 12 years, speaks to his friends at his home after he got a presidential pardon, in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi, File)