Blugers' Toronto lose to Utah, Tampa Bay without Girgensons set club record

In the National Hockey League (NHL), North America's top professional ice hockey league, the Toronto Maple Leafs, for whom Latvian forward Teodors Blugers plays, lost 2-3 at home to the Utah Mammoth. Meanwhile the Tampa Bay Lightning, without fellow Latvian Zemgus Girgensons, beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 and for the first time in club history opened a season with seven consecutive home wins.

Toronto's loss to Utah

Blugers spent 14 minutes and 32 seconds on the ice, 3:03 of it shorthanded. He won two of six faceoffs, recorded no points and did not score.

Utah took the lead late in the first period when Dylan Guenther scored on the power play through a screen. In the middle of the second period Jack Roslovic made it 1-1, but a little over three minutes later Andrew Peeke restored the visitors' lead with a shot through traffic. Referees allowed the goal even though Barrett Hayton's skate collided with that of Toronto goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in the crease; Toronto chose not to challenge it.

Nine minutes into the third period Roslovic broke away against goalie Sebastian Cossa and made it 2-2. Auston Matthews assisted on both of Roslovic's goals; it was the 154th time in his career he had been involved in a tying goal. Only Mats Sundin (184) has more such instances in Toronto history.

The winner came on the power play 6:48 before the end of regulation, when Nick Schmaltz put away a rebound after Bobrovsky saved a shot by Clayton Keller. Utah won for the tenth time in 16 games, reaching that mark faster than at any previous point in club history.

Tampa Bay's record

Girgensons missed a third straight game, but took part in the morning skate in full gear before the match and could return as soon as Thursday. Tampa Bay's seventh win broke the previous club record of six consecutive home wins to open a season.

Brayden Point beat Detroit goalie Jonas Gibson twice in the first period, with Nikita Kucherov assisting on both. In the second period Anthony Cirelli made it 3-0, but Detroit fought back: Lucas Raymond scored from the blue line, and J.T. Compher made it 3-2 on the power play early in the third. Detroit played the final three minutes with an extra attacker, but could not equalize. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves, and Ryan McDonagh sealed the win with an empty-net goal one second before the final siren.