Matthews scores winner, adds assist in return from injury as Maple Leafs cruise past Chicago

Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in his return from injury as the Maple Leafs downed Chicago 5-2 on Wednesday night in Toronto.

William Nylander added a goal and two assists for Toronto (33-14-8), while John Tavares and Rasmus Sandin each scored and set up another for two-point nights. Connor Timmins had the other goal for the Leafs.

Ilya Samsonov made 27 saves.

Matthews — last season's Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP and the first player to register a 60-goal campaign in a decade —suffered a knee sprain Jan. 25, but only missed five games over a three-week stretch thanks to the all-star break and Toronto's bye week.

WATCH | Matthews returns to lineup, scores winner against Chicago:

Leapfrogged by Tampa Bay for second in the Atlantic Division since last seeing action in Saturday's ugly 4-3 loss to last-place Columbus, the Leafs opened the scoring after just nine seconds when Nylander moved in on a breakaway and slid home his 30th goal of the season.

The visitors got that one right back on the game's second shot 53 seconds later when Lafferty jumped on a Calle Jarnkrok turnover and scored his ninth.

Sandin restored Toronto's lead later in the period with his fourth on a shot that hit a Chicago stick and fooled Mrazek, who signed with the Leafs in the summer of 2021 before getting traded to the Windy City less than a year later following a forgettable Leafs' stint.

Alexander Kerfoot looked to have given Toronto a 3-1 lead just 15 seconds later only to have Chicago correctly challenge for offside, but Matthews ripped his 26th off a Nylander feed a few minutes later.

Chicago got back within one early in the second when Kurashev blasted his eighth before Tavares took advantage of a Mrazek miscue to score his 24th.

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