Wild head coach Dean Evason singled out Alex Goligoski after the veteran defenseman took a costly penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct in the final frame of Minnesota's 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

"Momentum was clearly in our direction, and then obviously they get a power play," Evason told reporters postgame. "They didn't score, but they gained momentum from it, they had a lot of good touches on it, and then we were behind the eight ball, obviously.

"It can't happen, can't take (a) stupid - really stupid - bad penalty. (Goligoski) knows it, we addressed it, but it can't happen. Can't happen in Game 2, and it can't happen going forward."

The Wild had scored back-to-back goals to end the second period and were only down 4-3 when Goligoski took the penalty just under seven minutes into the third stanza.

Goligoski said he felt there were some calls the referees missed for Minnesota and told an official to "make an 'effin call," spurring his trip to the box. Like Evason, the 38-year-old also felt his actions "hurt" the Wild.

Minnesota may have killed off the penalty, but the floodgates opened afterward, with Calle Jarnkrok scoring just over a minute after Toronto's power play expired. Auston Matthews then wrapped up his second hat trick in as many games, and William Nylander burned the Wild with a beauty for his second tally of the contest.

Goligoski was also in the sin bin for tripping when Tyler Bertuzzi bagged his first goal as a Maple Leaf in the second period.

Evason acknowledged that his team has struggled without blue-liner Jared Spurgeon - who's considered week-to-week after sustaining an upper-body injury in the preseason - but maintained that it isn't an excuse for sloppy play.

"He's your captain and your leader. Sure, he's a calming presence in our room and on the bench and on the ice," he said. "But we have a lot of veterans on our hockey club that can step up and do that."

Evason added, "(Rookie defenseman) Brock Faber can't be our best player every night. It's wonderful that he is, but we need other people stepping up in (Spurgeon's) absence."

Minnesota won its first game of the campaign 2-0 over the Florida Panthers. The Wild's next chance to return to the win column will come Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.

Evason hinted that he would be making some changes to the blue line for that contest. Any shakeup would likely have to be small, given that Minnesota has a little over $50,000 in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

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Two games, six goals. It's quite the start for Auston Matthews.

The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar became the fifth player in NHL history to open the season with back-to-back hat tricks and only the second to do it since 1917-18. Alex Ovechkin accomplished the feat in 2017-18. Before him, Cy Denneny, Reg Noble, and Joe Malone all did it in 1917-18.

Matthews completed the achievement Saturday with a three-goal game against the Minnesota Wild. His first three came versus the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

"You don't expect back-to-back hat tricks, of course," head coach Sheldon Keefe said after Toronto's 7-4 victory. "But I've gotten somewhat comfortable and used to Auston having big nights and making a big impact. You do so on back-to-back nights to start a season, it's terrific."

A two-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner, Matthews led the league with 41 goals in 52 games in 2020-21 and 60 in 73 contests in 2021-22. He's coming off a down year by his standards, producing 40 goals and 45 assists in 74 games last season while playing through a wrist injury. He appears poised for a bounce-back campaign, though.

"Wow, I think he's been incredible," William Nylander, who bagged two goals Saturday, said. "Taking pucks to the net, scoring all kinds of goals. He's been dialled in."

Defenseman Morgan Rielly, who had a pair of assists in the game, agrees.

"He's going to do a lot of damage on a lot of records, a lot of Leafs records," Rielly said.

Matthews owns the Leafs' single-season goal record, and the 26-year-old is already fifth on the franchise's all-time goals list. With a new contract that'll keep him in Toronto through 2027-28, he could pass Mats Sundin's record within the next few seasons. Here's a look at the club's all-time goals list:

Matthews will go for his third straight hat trick (the hat trick, hat trick?) Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Conor Garland's market is beginning to take shape.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, and Nashville Predators are among the teams interested in the Vancouver Canucks winger, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Vancouver reportedly granted Garland permission to seek a trade. The 27-year-old switched agents Tuesday and is now represented by Judd Moldaver, whose list of clients includes Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

The Canucks are hoping to free up $1 million to $2 million in cap space with a trade and would prefer a defenseman in return, Friedman adds. Vancouver dressed 17 skaters in its season opener since it couldn't afford to recall a player to fill in for injuries due to cap constraints.

The Blue Jackets are an obvious match. They have over $2 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, and are reportedly looking to trade a blue-liner. In particular, Columbus has a surplus of right-shooting defensemen, which would be ideal for Vancouver's left-heavy blue line. Adam Boqvist and Andrew Peeke are potential fits.

The Predators are the only team of the three that could afford Garland's full $4.95-million cap hit, as they have $7.8 million available. Nashville also has an abundance of right-shooting defensemen. Luke Schenn likely isn't going anywhere after signing a three-year deal as a free agent in the summer, but the club could make Tyson Barrie, Alexandre Carrier, and Dante Fabbro available.

The Jets have $2.3 million in cap space. Logan Stanley, a 2016 first-round pick, is a possible trade candidate after Winnipeg made the 6-foot-7 defenseman a healthy scratch for the season's first two games.

Garland tallied 17 goals and 29 assists in 81 contests with the Canucks last season. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound forward scored a goal in the team's season-opening 8-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers while skating on the top line. His underlying numbers over the last three campaigns are stellar.

Garland has three seasons remaining on his contract. The Canucks acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes in the 2021 trade that also brought Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Vancouver.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach exited Saturday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks after sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period.

Dach appeared to be injured on a hit from Jarred Tinordi, which sent the 22-year-old into the opposition bench.

Dach played only 4:40 before departing.

The 2019 third overall pick was limited to 58 games last season due to an injury. Dach hasn't played a full season since making his NHL debut in 2019.

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After 1,065 games in the NHL, nothing that Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Evgeni Malkin does should come as a surprise. But his four-point outing against the Washington Capitals on Friday night still impressed head coach Mike Sullivan.

"I thought Geno was on his game tonight," he told reporters after his side's 4-0 win. "When he's on his game, it seems like the puck follows him around, and he played with a lot of energy. He's still such a dominant player out there. I thought tonight he was at his best."

Sullivan added, "He was playing at both ends of the rink. He's competing hard. I just think when he's on his game, he's as dominant a player as there is in the league."

Malkin kicked off his evening with a quick snap shot in the slot for his first goal of the 2023-24 season. He went on to add a pair of primary assists, as well as a secondary helper on longtime teammate Sidney Crosby's first goal of the contest.

The Penguins outshot the Capitals 16-4, with Malkin on the ice at all strengths while dictating 74.4% of the shot attempts and 73.7% of the scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

All in, the outing was the 37-year-old's 29th game in which he bagged at least four points in a single contest.

Crosby has long had a front-row seat to the Malkin show. Along with defenseman Kris Letang, the three Penguins are now in their 18th NHL season together and own the title of longest tenured teammates in North America. The previous record was held by Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera, who played 17 consecutive campaigns with the New York Yankees.

"(Malkin) was just all over the ice," Crosby said. "He made some great plays. ... Nights like this where he's feeling it, he's gonna set up guys or create chances himself. He was just all over the puck tonight."

Malkin's dominant performance was needed after the Penguins suffered a disheartening loss to the Chicago Blackhawks that saw them squander a 2-0 lead during their season opener on Oct. 10.

Sullivan was a big fan of his team's improved play.

"I just thought we played smarter tonight," he said. "I thought we had a little more structure in the defensive zone, just our play without the puck was a little bit more conscientious, certainly than it was in Game 1. I think that gives our guys an opportunity to act on the talent that we have."

Next up for Malkin and the Penguins is a clash against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

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