The Red Wings snuff out the Maple Leafs

Raymond's deflection keeps Detroit's candle burning

Two goals down

Last season the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 4th of 32. The Detroit Red Wings finished 21st. On qualification night all 32 candles were lit, and one loss would end a flame. For a period at Little Caesars Arena, the Leafs looked ready to burn on.

Calle Jarnkrok wristed in the opener at 2:27. Nicolas Roy tipped in a second at 12:29. Toronto led by two going into the first intermission, and Detroit's wick was burning low.

Detroit's second-period blaze

Then the Wings caught fire. Marco Kasper snapped one home at 8:56 of the second, set up by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Lucas Raymond wristed in the equalizer at 14:55. Kane snapped Detroit in front at 18:10, just 3:15 after Raymond's goal. That was three goals in one period.

Max Domi pulled Toronto level with a wrist shot 2:38 into the third. Then Oliver Ekman-Larsson went off for tripping at 5:42, and Raymond made it count: a deflected power-play goal at 6:45, with Kane and DeBrincat on the assists again. It held up as the winner.

Talbot seals it

Cam Talbot made 20 saves on 23 shots. With Toronto's net empty, he even picked up the assist on Simon Edvinsson's goal at 18:12, and Andrew Copp added another empty-netter at 19:55. The Leafs' flame went cold on qualification night for the second year running, and Detroit is one of 27 still burning.