Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for his first shutout since joining the New Jersey Devils, backstopping the visitors past the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Sunday night for their fifth straight win.
Timo Meier scored twice in the second period for his first two-goal game since April 2025. Nico Hischier posted a goal and an assist and Jack Hughes climbed to 11 points in five games with a pair of helpers. Jesper Bratt had two assists and Connor Brown added a late empty-netter.
Anthony Stolarz turned away 25 shots as Toronto dropped its fifth game in six outings. The Maple Leafs have lost the first three games of their six-game homestand.
Hellebuyck played in his fifth game since New Jersey acquired him on Oct. 23 in a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets. Hellebuyck played his first 11 NHL seasons with Winnipeg and won the Vezina Trophy three times as top goaltender as well as the Hart Memorial Trophy in the 2024-25 season as Most Valuable Player.
Meier opened the scoring off an offensive zone faceoff 8:28 into the second period. Hischier won the draw cleanly and dropped the puck onto the stick of Declan Chisholm, who propelled the puck through a slew of white jerseys to set up Meier for a one-timer from the slot.
Hughes received a no-look pass from Bratt and sent Toronto defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson spinning the wrong way with a slick move to his forehand. Meier tipped in his wrist shot 12:44 into the second period to make it 2-0 with his second of the game.
Hischier made it 3-0 off a power-play goal 9:49 into the third period with a rebound on the doorstep. Brown, a former Maple Leafs player, scored an empty-net goal with just under three minutes remaining.
The Maple Leafs were short-handed on the blueline with Morgan Rielly out of the lineup after leaving Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury. Veteran defenseman Chris Tanev (maintenance) missed his 10th game of the season. Cole McWard, who played last season for the New York Islanders before signing with the Maple Leafs, made his Toronto debut in their absence. Forward Jack Roslovic (lower-body injury) was also a late scratch.
Toronto did not have a power-play opportunity on the night. Maple Leafs forward Colton Sissons left the game late in the second period with a lower-body injury.
