ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - On Sunday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, with Bo Groulx making a notable contribution by scoring two goals. This match showcased Toronto's resilience following the recent loss of their captain, Auston Matthews, to a season-ending knee injury.

The Maple Leafs opened the scoring early in the second period after a scoreless first, with Morgan Rielly netting the first goal at 1:07. Rielly's wrist shot from the left circle caught Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt off guard, placing Toronto in the lead. Just 68 seconds later, Groulx extended that lead to 2-0, tipping in a shot from defenseman Troy Stecher.

Toronto continued to dominate the game, scoring a third goal at 8:18 of the second period when Groulx intercepted a Wild clearing attempt at their blue line. His shot, which found its way through traffic, beat a screen-stopped Wallstedt, further widening the margin to 3-0.

However, the Wild mounted a spirited comeback effort in the third period. Vladimir Tarasenko became a crucial figure for Minnesota, scoring twice in just 23 seconds, significantly narrowing the gap. His first goal came at 4:51, redirecting a precise cross-ice pass from Mats Zuccarello past Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz. Tarasenko's second came immediately afterward, as he skated in and beat Stolarz with a wrist shot after winning a board battle, putting the Wild only a goal away from tying the game.

Despite the momentum shift in favor of Minnesota, which saw them unleash a total of 17 shots in the third period, Stolarz held his ground, making crucial saves to prevent the Wild from equalizing. The Maple Leafs managed to seal their victory with an empty-net goal from Matthew Knies with just 37 seconds left on the clock, bringing the final score to 4-2.

With this victory, the Maple Leafs improved their record to one win and one shootout loss across their last two games since the injury to Matthews, demonstrating their capability to compete without their star player. On the side of the Wild, this defeat marked a disappointing stretch, with just one point earned from their last three home games against Eastern Conference teams that are not playoff contenders.

Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs are set to host the New York Islanders on Tuesday, while the Wild will need to regroup as they continue their season.