Matthews scores a hat trick to lead Maple Leafs to 6-5 comeback win over Jets

TORONTO (AP) — Auston Matthews scored his 14th career hat trick and added an assist to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-5 comeback win against the struggling Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Jets goalie Eric Comrie could not freeze a loose puck at the side of his goal and it slid to a wide-open Matthews in front who completed his hat trick and snapped a 5-all deadlock with 4:22 remaining.

Matthews also scored on the power play with two seconds remaining in the second period to pull the Maple Leafs to within 4-3.

Matthews pulled to within one goal of tying Mats Sundin’s franchise record of 420 goals.

It was Toronto's fifth win in its last six games.

Winnipeg squandered a 4-1 lead for its eighth loss in a row. Mark Scheifele scored two goals and set up another to lead the Jets.

After Scheifele put his team ahead 5-4 on the power play, Troy Stecher’s slap shot tied it.

Toronto backup Dennis Hildeby picked up the win with 22 saves after relieving Joseph Woll early in the second period after he allowed four goals on 18 shots.

The Maple Leafs were without William Nylander (lower body) for the third straight game. Dakota Joshua (kidney) and Chris Tanev (lower body) were also absent.

With his second goal, Matthews set a franchise record for goals at home with 232, passing Darryl Sittler’s 44-year-old mark. Matthews has three goals and six points in his last three games.

The Jets have gone 3-13-4 in their last 20 games.

Jets: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.

Leafs: Visit the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

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

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby (35) makes a save against the Winnipeg Jets during during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby, right, stops Winnipeg Jets' Adam Lowry during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) celebrates his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) and goaltender Dennis Hildeby (35) celebrate after defeating the Winnipeg Jets in an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gage Goncalves scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:41 to play, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a late deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-3 on Thursday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

Anthony Cirelli scored the tying goal with 3:19 left in regulation for the Lightning, who fell behind early in the third period on Kevin Fiala's power-play goal.

Cirelli crashed the net and pushed home his 11th goal on a play set up by Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov. Moments later, Cirelli and Goncalves drove the net again, and Goncalves eventually converted a behind-the-net pass from Jake Guentzel for his fourth goal.

Brayden Point had his first two-goal game of the season and Kucherov capped a three-point night by putting his 19th goal into an empty net for the Lightning, who have won back-to-back games to begin their three-game California road trip. Point also scored in Tampa Bay's 4-3 overtime victory at Anaheim on Wednesday.

Jonas Johansson stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay, which hasn't lost since Dec. 18.

Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist apiece on the power play for the Kings, who collapsed late in their eighth loss in 10 games despite scoring multiple man-advantage goals for the first time all season. Los Angeles entered the night with the NHL's worst power play, scoring on just 14.4% of its chances.

Corey Perry had his first three-assist game since November 2019, setting up both power-play goals and giving him 499 career assists.

Jeff Malott also scored, and Darcy Kuemper returned from injury to make 18 saves in the Canadian Olympic team selection's first appearance since Dec. 15.

Lightning: At San Jose on Saturday.

Kings: Host Minnesota on Saturday.

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

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21), Lightning center Gage Goncalves and Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) celebrate after a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point is tripped up by Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) as they go for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) and Los Angeles Kings left wing Andrei Kuzmenko battle along the boards for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) is defended by Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe and Kings' center Anze Kopitar (11) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)