The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled out a huge 4-3 overtime time against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night at Amalie Arena.
Toronto Maple Leafs former top prospect, Matthew Knies had a monster game. His overtime goal was the difference-maker as the 22-year-old winger went bonkers, notching a hat trick.
Knies performance put him on the doorstep of a 30-goal season, shattering his previous career high of 15 from last season. Moreover, Knies powered the offense on a night when the Leafs top line was solely responsible for generating the goals.
Mitch Marner was equally impressive, registering a goal and two assists. Meanwhile, Auston Matthews added to his point total with three helpers.
Knies explodes for hat trick, Toronto Maple Leafs get huge OT win over Lightning
The three-point night for Marner puts him at 97 points. With five games to go, he’s got a pretty good shot at reaching the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Marner had previously reached 97 points in the 2021-22 campaign and then 99 points in 2022-23.
As for Matthews, his three assists catapulted him to 74 points in 63 games. Despite injury issues earlier in the year, Matthews seems fully healed and playing at the top of his game.
The Leafs will take on the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. It’s a statement the Leafs must win, not just to secure their hold on first place in the Atlantic Division, but to build momentum heading into the 2025 NHL playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs win against the Lightning was their 48th of the season, pushing the Leafs over the 100-point plateau this season. While there were times this season when it looked like the Leafs weren’t going to be close to making the playoffs, the team’s commitment to Craig Berube’s system has paid off handsomely.
The Leafs are just the second team in the Eastern Conference to reach the century mark in points. Also, the Leafs have a chance at 50 wins on the season. Only the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars have reached the 50-win mark this season.
It’s worth pointing out that the East’s top seed, the Washington Capitals, have won 49 games and have cooled off significantly since their scorching start to the season.
The Leafs aren't going to catch Washington, but technically it is still a possibility. After Montreal Saturday, they'll play Carolina, Buffalo and Detroit to finish out the season before the playoffs start next weekend sometime.