More Matthews mastery in Leafs’ win over Senators
Toronto star notches two GOALS In One-sided triumph
Bask in what you’re watching in Auston Matthews, Leafs Nation. Take it all in. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to have an impact on everyday life, Matthews, the Leafs superstar, continues to go about his prolific business, filling North Division nets with relative ease.
On Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators, Matthews scored two more goals, giving him 15 in 17 games to start the season as the Leafs skated to a 7-3 victory at Scotiabank Arena.
Matthews, who now has 19 goals in 20 career games against Ottawa, has at least one point in 15 consecutive games played (three shy of the Leafs franchise record of 18, held by Darryl Sittler and ed Olczyk).
“If the opportunities are going to be there, he has the potential to score consistently,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said before the game.
“He’s showing that here right now and I don’t expect that to change in terms of his mindset and getting himself into those into those spots, whether it falls in or not.
“The luck will come and go, but he creates a lot of luck and a lot of favourable looks for himself because of how he competes and how he gets to space and how his linemates find him.”
The big three of Matthews between Joe Thornton and Mitch Marner drove the Leafs, as the trio combined for 11 points.
After making 10 starts in a row, Frederik Andersen wasn’t in uniform. Michael Hutchinson started in the Toronto net and was backed up by Joseph Woll.
“It’s back to back and it has been a very busy schedule for Fred,” Keefe said. “He’s been dealing with some things as well that just warranted that he needed to get some time off here, too, so we have Hutch going.”
Hutchinson made 34 saves in his first game since Sept. 4 — when he was in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Colorado Avalanche — as the Leafs completed the three-game set against Ottawa with five of a possible six points.
The Leafs, who play next in Montreal against the Canadiens on Saturday, improved to 13-3-2, their 28 points keeping them well atop the National Hockey League standings. The Senators fell to 4-14-1, their nine points keeping them mired in the NHL basement.
The Leafs didn’t have winger Zach Hyman, who is “banged up,” Keefe said, and is day-to-day. Hyman, who was in pain after blocking a shot on Wednesday but remained in the game, was replaced in the lineup by Nic Petan.
On the blue line, Zach Bogosian got a rest, with Mikko Lehtonen coming in.
Keefe changed his lines around a bit, moving Alex Kerfoot up to play with John Tavares and William Nylander, and put Jimmy Vesey on the third line and Petan on the fourth.
In the third, Keefe switched Marner and Nylander. Naturally, Marner assisted on a goal by Tavares. That answered a third-period score by Ottawa’s Drake Batherson.
Ilya Mikheyev scored his second of the season early in the second, and Marner made it 5-1 at 3:45.
Considering what happened on Monday, when the Sens erased a 5-1 Leafs lead and won 6-5, the fan base held its collective breath when Connor Brown scored on his old club to get Ottawa to within three at 7:37.
A four-goal Leafs lead was restored, however, at 11:00 when Nylander swatted a Jason Spezza rebound past Matt Murray on a Toronto power play.
The Leafs had a 3-1 lead after the first period on the strength of Matthews’ pair and a nice touch from the weathered hands of Thornton.
After having two goals disallowed on Wednesday night, Thornton got it right on Thursday. The wily veteran made a subtle re-direct of a Jake Muzzin shot/pass, impacting the puck enough that it skittered past Murray.
Thornton also assisted on both of Matthews’ goals in the first, giving him eight points in eight games.
Matthews goals? They weren’t quite the result of a lucky bounce off a shin pad.
The first came at 10:29 during a Leafs power play. Using Thornton as a screen, Matthews ripped a shot past goalie Marcus Hogberg. Not long after, Hogberg was labouring after a save and departed the game, with Murray coming in.
Thornton scored at 16:43, and just over a minute later, Sens rookie Tim Stuetzle — who’s going to be a pain in the butt for the Leafs for years to come — went high on the short side on Hutchinson for his fifth goal of the season to get Ottawa back in it.
But not for long. Marner fooled everyone when he went one way behind the net, only to drop to Matthews, who quickly put the puck on his forehand and slid it into the net at 19:37 before Murray could react.