Toronto Maple Leafs Top 10 Highlight Reel Goals of the Decade

It’s almost the end of the decade, and there’s been a lot to take in as Toronto Maple Leafs fans.

It wasn’t the best decade, results-wise, for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but near the end of the decade they drafted some superstar players and assembled a team that promises to make the 2020s a much more successful decade for the team.

The return to the playoffs in 2013 (followed by a game that I’m not going to talk about), the dead-last season prior to selecting Auston Matthews first overall, and the signing of John Tavares are only a handful of the biggest moments of the decade.

But today, we aren’t going to talk about any of those.

Instead, I’ve assembled a list of the top ten highlight reel goals of the decade. Let’s dive in and take a look.

DISCLAIMER: The goals that make up this list are purely highlight reel goals. Meaning that important goals for the team (Kasperi Kapanen’s 2OT winner against Washington etc) were not considered for the list.

10. Auston Matthews vs Carolina (February 19th 2017)

Among Auston Matthews’ 40 goals in his rookie season, this one was definitely one of the nicer ones. But not all credit goes to him for this goal.

The Hurricanes managed to clear the puck out of the zone and get it all the way down the ice, only for Jake Gardiner to fire a pass around the board and somehow find Matthews’ tape right as he’s entering the Canes’ zone.

Then in the midst of being hauled down by Phil Di Giuseppe, moves the puck onto his backhand and beats Cam Ward as he’s falling, messing with his timing in the process.

This would be Matthews’ 28th goal of his historic 40 goal rookie season.

9. Luke Schenn vs Boston (March 19th 2011)

Luke Schenn did not have a picture perfect tenure in Toronto.

In fact, many believe that the Leafs should have let Schenn develop for at least another year or two before bringing him to the show.

Instead, they threw him to the wolves right after drafting him.

I remember watching this goal and being just as surprised as anyone. Schenn wasn’t ever known for his offensive ability, and yet here he is rushing the puck from his own zone and driving the net to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead against the Bruins.

Schenn would be traded over a year later, but this goal is still fun to look back on.

8. James van Riemsdyk vs Boston (May 4th 2013)

This goal came in the 2013 playoffs, which was obviously an extra-emotional time for Toronto Maple Leafs fans everywhere.

Coming back to the show after nine years of missing out, the Leafs would eventually face elimination in one of the most painful losses the team has ever had.

But before that dreadful game, they gave the fans something to cheer about. Like this goal from James van Riemsdyk.

After Jaromir Jagr gives the puck away, Mikhail Grabovski picks it up and cuts across the width of the ice before sending it through three Bruins’ players onto the tape of JVR.

He then spins around while maintaining control of it and tucks is in while falling down.

The excitement surrounding this goal was helped by the fact that it would make the score 4-2 for the Leafs and more or less ice the game for the win, giving the Leafs their first playoff victory since 2004.

7. Mikhail Grabovski vs Boston (February 15th 2011)

This is one of my personal favorite goals, but it’s not just because of the goal itself. It’s because of the backstory.

Grabovski was straight up getting bullied by Zdeno Chara prior to this one.

He takes a hit from Chara and then scores his first of the game. He then takes a second hit from Chara and has trouble even staying on his feet, and what does he respond with? This.

He carries it the length of the ice, splits the D with a one handed deke that brings Dennis Seidenberg to his knees, then roofs it to give the Leafs the lead with one minute left. Talk about getting the last laugh.

6. Auston Matthews vs Montreal (October 14th 2017)

This one wouldn’t have happened without Nazem Kadri sacrificing his body.

Kadri blocks a shot in front of the net, Matthews picks up the puck, flips it in the air and chases after it.

THEN he recovers his own turnover, batting the puck out of the air, then he curls it, drags it, and boom. Top shelf.

We’ve seen that signature shot from Matthews almost too many times to count. But what made this goal so much better was the determination to keep the play moving.

The fact that he managed to bat it out of the air and roof it all in one stride is super impressive.

5. Nazem Kadri vs New York Islanders (February 28th 2013)

This game was one of my favourite regular season games to watch almost entirely due to Nazem Kadri, as he secured his first career hat trick.

If you go back and look at the highlights of this game, all three of Kadri’s goals were nice.

His first one was a toe drag, his second one was bar down, and his third one was, well..this.

He picks up the puck, carries it over to his off-wing, and then puts it through Lubomir Visnovsky’s feet before firing it off the post and in while falling down.

The 2013 season as a whole was special for Kadri, as Leaf fans got a glimpse of who exactly they wanted when they drafted him at seventh overall in 2009.

His path to the NHL up until this season was rocky, and he clearly had enough confidence by this point to pull this one off.

4. Auston Matthews vs Ottawa (October 12th 2016)

This game was arguably one of the most exciting of the decade, which is funny because they ended up losing.

But four goals from Matthews in his NHL debut? Come on.

I picked this goal in particular out of his four because of the entire sequence leading up to it.

Here you have a guy who’s never played an NHL game before, and what does he do? Dekes around Mark Stone. Dekes around Mike Hoffman. Strips Erik Karlsson of the puck. And finally beats Craig Anderson for his second of FOUR GOALS in this game.

In case you don’t know, those are some pretty good hockey players.

This game was special for Leaf fans because they went nine years without having a true number one centre. They finally get him, and what does he do? Steps in and pots four in his first game. It will never get old.

3. Mitch Marner vs Florida (November 17th 2016)

Auston Matthews has been receiving a lot of attention through this list, so why don’t we shed some light on the other star in Mitch Marner.

This goal was awesome because of Marner’s determination to pull it off while Mike Matheson (who’s three inches taller and about 20 pounds heavier) relentlessly tries to push him off the puck.

Nonetheless, Marner stays with it and goes backhand-forehand to beat former Leaf James Reimer on the breakaway.

Marner may not be the biggest guy on the ice, but his tireless determination and puck control is what makes this goal so special.

2. Peter Holland vs Philadelphia (February 20th 2016)

This is the first and only goal on the list where it’s not the goal scorer we’re praising, but rather the guy who helped make it happen.

Watch as Kadri picks up the puck in his own zone and carries it all the way down the ice while deking out not one, not two, but three Flyers players before passing it across to Peter Holland who finishes the job.

No disrespect to Holland in this instance, as the goal doesn’t happen if he doesn’t finish the job, but man, what an effort by Kadri to make sure this goal happens.