One thing you can’t deny about the Toronto Maple Leafs is that they certainly have a flair for the dramatic.
With all of the country watching on Hockey Night in Canada the Toronto Maple Leafs scored three goals in the third period (With two of them coming 26 seconds apart) to stun the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 and send the Scotiabank Arena crowd home happy on Saturday night.
It was dramatic, it was exciting, it was everything we all love about hockey. The victory was big enough to overshadow a very big problem: Auston Matthews left the game in the second period with an injury.
While the rest of the Leafs made up for his absence in the third period, losing Matthews for even a game is an issue, as the superstar missed 20 games last year due to injuries. But with the way the Leafs have been playing, giving #34 a rest wouldn’t be a disaster.
Jacob Trouba Ends Matthews’ Night
Matthews’ injury came early in the second period as he was making a move towards the net where Jacob Trouba laid a clean shoulder to shoulder hit on the 20-year old. The hit was clean and well-timed, and Matthews immediately clutched his shoulder and skated off the ice.
The report is that Matthews is going to miss Monday’s home tilt against the Calgary Flames, and while the Leafs will miss him, giving him the rest to recuperate is the smart option. The NHL season is a long and grueling 82 games, making sure Matthews (A future captain of the team) is healthy as we progress into November is very important. The Leafs have John Tavares and Nazem Kadri up the middle to make up for the loss if the injury is more serious than first expected.
Maple Leafs Comeback Mode: Engage
With the Leafs down 2-0 and the future captain of the team out with an injury, the Maple Leafs had to dig deep to come away with something positive. It all came in the third period. At 6:33 in the third, Nazem Kadri sniped a shot past Connor Hellebuyck off of a Mitch Marner pass to make it 2-1. Then, with 3:11 left, Jake Gardiner used a wide open slot to score his first of the year to make it 2-2. And just 26 seconds later, with the crowd roaring and the Maple Leafs whirling around the net, Kasperi Kapanen put the puck up high and over the shoulder of Hellebuyck to give the Leafs the lead and eventually the win.
Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs proved to the rest of the NHL, and even to their own fan base, that they have the composure to be a Stanley Cup contender. With their young superstar down and after being stonewalled for two periods, the Maple Leafs remained calm and found a way to win using their depth and explosive nature to make plays and score.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are now 8-3-0, lead the Atlantic Division, and are tied for first in the NHL. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of your weekend Leafs Nation.
Scotiabank Arena will be rocking again Monday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs take on another Canadian rival, the Calgary Flames.