Maple Leafs vs. Penguins observations: Auston Matthews scores goal No. 65 in overtime win

By / / Sports / 6 minutes of reading


There was no shortage of support for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the Blue Jays home opener, as hockey fans from Washington, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Buffalo decided to become hardcore Leafs fans for the evening.

The Penguins outshot the Leafs 10-5 in the first, and Ilya Lyubushkin struggled greatly. The physical defender took an early boarding penalty, and while Ilya Samsonov was able to bail him out, he wasn’t able to cover for him when Lyubushkin gave the puck away with under two minutes left in the opening frame.

The Leafs responded and tied things up five minutes into the second. Pontus Holmberg won an offensive-zone face-off, and T.J. Brodie made an excellent pass to set up Matthew Knies for a tap-in. While Toronto took three more penalties in the period, Samsonov and the penalty kill found a way to keep the game tied through 40.

The two teams exchanged goals in the third, and the Penguins got a point they desperately needed, but Jake McCabe made plenty of other fan bases happy by stopping them there with an overtime winner. Kyle Dubas made a great decision to trade for McCabe at last year’s deadline, but he definitely regretted it tonight.

Three stars

1. Ilya Samsonov

Samsonov stopped 24 of 26 against Montreal on Saturday night, and he earned a second consecutive start in the process. He carried his confidence into tonight’s performance, but didn’t have much of a chance on this Rakell goal late in the first:

The Penguins had five power plays in the first two periods, and while they probably deserved to have the lead, Samsonov made a couple of big stops to keep the game tied heading into the third:

Although Samsonov had a quieter start to the third, Drew O’Connor scored a tap-in after the puck hit a skate in front:

He wasn’t perfect, but he was one of the main reasons why this game got to overtime.

2. Auston Matthews

Matthews was held off the scoresheet for the first two periods, even though his line was easily Toronto’s best. However, he wasted no time getting on the board in the third, blasting a one-timer past Nedeljkovic to give the Leafs the lead and earn his 65th goal of the season:

Matthews now has a five-game goal streak and an 11-game point streak. He’s playing his best hockey and finding a way to dominate night after night.

3. T.J. Brodie

Brodie certainly is not known for his offensive game, but he made a perfect pass to set up Knies in the second:

McCabe deserves an honourable mention for the overtime winner, but let’s give the nod to Brodie since he was also excellent defensively.

A strong night for Toronto’s special teams 

There haven’t been many goals scored on special teams at either end during Leafs games lately. Toronto had gone five straight games without giving up a goal while shorthanded before Nick Suzuki ended that streak on Saturday. However, Toronto’s power play had scored just once in seven games entering play, so it’s not like the Leafs have enjoyed a huge special teams advantage either.

Toronto’s penalty kill was a perfect two-for-two in the first, but it wasn’t always pretty, as Pittsburgh’s power play was moving the puck well. The penalty kill then went three-for-three in the second, and the results looked far more deserved. Toronto’s power play then added to Toronto’s strong special teams results to start the third, as Matthews blasted a one-timer for a goal off a face-off win from John Tavares.

It feels like a power play that features Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, and Morgan Rielly can get hot at any moment, but they’ve gone cold in the playoffs plenty of times in the past. The penalty kill has easily been their main concern this season, but Samsonov’s been able to cover for his teammates when called upon lately, and the trade deadline additions have at least given Sheldon Keefe more options. There’s still some work to do before Leafs fans can be confident in Toronto’s special teams heading into the playoffs, but tonight was certainly a step in the right direction.

Sheldon Keefe’s playoff lineup is still up in the air

Keefe’s lineup once again featured a three-pronged attack with Matthews, Marner and Nylander on different lines. Experimenting with this before the playoffs makes plenty of sense, as Matthews did not miss a beat when Marner was out of the lineup. Here’s a quick look at his recent numbers entering play:

Bertuzzi has been a good fit on both top-six lines all season, but it’s been difficult to figure out where Max Domi fits best. Domi spent the vast majority of the season at centre, but given that both Matthews and Tavares ought to get plenty of offensive zone starts, Domi wasn’t exactly a natural fit for the third line centre role. I didn’t think he’d be a great fit with Matthews either, as it’s tough to put a player who struggles defensively on a line that regularly faces opposing top lines.

It’s tough to argue against the results thus far, as Domi now hasn’t been on for a goal against at even strength in five straight. The fourth line did their job for the most part as well, as their minutes were quite boring. It was the middle six that left Keefe with more questions than answers, as it was an off night for both Tavares and Nylander. Toronto’s defenders looked like they were having a competition to see who could take the most penalties, but their special teams found a way to step up. Both of Toronto’s goals in regulation were scored immediately following a face-off win.

Game score

Final grade: B-

Tonight’s result meant everything for the Penguins, and very little for the Leafs. While Pittsburgh outplayed the Leafs early, it was mostly due to having more power play opportunities than dominant five-on-five play. However, discipline is important, and Pittsburgh’s five-to-one advantage in power play chances through two periods seemed warranted rather than a result of unfavorable officiating. While the Matthews line had some strong shifts, the middle six was getting outplayed.

The Leafs started the third with a power play of their own, and they were trying to protect a lead for most of the period. While there’s plenty of positives to take away, particularly on special teams, the Leafs were too undisciplined to deserve an “A”. They were just OK at even strength rather than dominant.

What’s next for the Leafs?

Heading to New Jersey play the Devils tomorrow at 7 p.m. on TSN.

(Photo of Auston Matthews celebrating his goal with Morgan Rielly: Kevin Sousa / NHLI via Getty Images)





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Avatar of Miranda Washington
Miranda Washington is the newest member of our news writing team, and she's already making waves. In addition to being a writer, Miranda also has a passion for photography and art. She loves to travel and experience new places, both near and far, whether through her camera lens or in person.

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