The Toronto Maple Leafs took home a big 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

While Auston Matthews added an empty-net goal with less than a second left in the game, the crucial marker came from Morgan Rielly in the first. Late in the period, Rielly batted the puck in after some stellar playmaking from John Tavares and Easton Cowan, and buried the eventual game-winner.

Rielly is making good on his promise to improve his offensive contributions thus far, with five goals and 17 assists in 27 games played. Speaking to media after Monday night’s win, Rielly shared what he saw on his first period goal.

“There was some luck there,” he said. “I was trying to shoot it and next thing you know there’s a chance there. So just trying to get up into play, that’s all.”

Beyond just giving Toronto the lead, Rielly played a big part in helping Toronto keep it. Preserving the one-goal margin through two periods, Rielly credits the team’s strong play in controlling the middle of the ice.

“That’s valuable ice,” Rielly said. “We want to own the puck in that area, and when we’re on the defensive side, we want to clog it up. I think we did a good job on that both ways tonight. Yeah, that’s something we’ll look to build on.”

With the win, the Maple Leafs are not only two points back from a wild card spot, but two points back from the top of the Atlantic Division, which the Tampa Bay Lightning currently lead with 34 points. It’s a testament to how tight the divisional standings are, and just how major it is to get a win over the Lightning.

“It feels like we’re playing really important hockey, because we are,” Rielly said. “It’s early in the year but these points are important, it’s tight in our division. We’re in a position where we’re trying to find our game and get some momentum going, so obviously wins like tonight and efforts from (Dennis Hildeby) and stuff are crucial. Couldn’t come at a better time.”

Toronto continues its homestand on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, with a chance to get back into playoff position.

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