In a matchup between two Original Six archrivals without a single playoff consequence, the Toronto Maple Leafs overwhelmed the Montreal Canadiens by busting out with four goals in the second period and then holding on for a 4-2 win on Saturday night.
Item 1: 3 Reasons the Maple Leafs Topped the Canadiens
There are three key reasons why the Maple Leafs won on Saturday night. First, Auston Matthews continued his incredible season by scoring his league-leading 64th goal. He also reached the 100-point mark for the second time in his career.
Second, the Maple Leafs balanced offensive attack carried the day. The team got goals from Bobby McMann, Matthew Knies, Max Domi, and Matthews. Notably, each Maple Leafs player recorded a maximum of a single point. Over the past few games, the team’s depth has shown itself. That’s a strong hint that the elite scorers on the team might not have to carry the offensive burden alone this postseason. The team seems better able to generate scoring from all four lines than in past postseasons.
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Third, the team once again had strong goalie play. Ilya Samsonov stood tall in net for the Maple Leafs, making 24 saves to backstop his team to victory. Samsonov’s presence provided stability, and he seemed calm all game long.
Item 2: Auston Matthews Hits 100 Points for the Season
As noted, Matthews just keeps throwing in goals. He continued his phenomenal season by scoring his league-leading 64th goal on a wraparound that deflected off David Savard’s skate and into the net. The goal also marked Matthews’ 100th point of the season, a milestone he has reached for the second time in his career.
Matthews is currently on a 10-game point streak with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) during this stretch. His 64 goals match the total Connor McDavid recorded last season. They are also the most in a season since Alex Ovechkin’s 65 goals in 2007-08.
Additionally, Matthews now joins elite company within the Maple Leafs franchise. He’s now matched legends Darryl Sittler and Doug Gilmour as the only players to achieve two 100-point seasons in team history.
With six games remaining in the season, Matthews has the potential to pass even more significant milestones. He needs to average “only” one goal in each remaining game to reach 70 goals on the season, which suddenly seems doable given his current pace and remarkable consistency.
Item 3: Ilya Samsonov Won His Fourth Straight Game
Samsonov continued his strong second half of the season with a 24-save effort in the 4-2 win over the Canadiens. The win marked Samsonov’s fourth straight. Samsonov’s resurgence has been notable, particularly since his reset.
Since returning, he boasts an impressive record of 17-4-1. Despite his overall statistics reflecting a 3.03 goals against average and only a .893 save percentage, Samsonov’s recent string of wins shows his effectiveness and ability to contribute to his team’s success.
Interestingly, when looking at the NHL’s statistics, Samsonov has the fewest losses among NHL goalies who have put up more than 20 wins on the season. He has only six losses to go with his 21 wins. Given all the talk around his reset experience, it’s easy to lose track of how strong of a season he’s had. In some ways, it might turn out that he’s had a perfect season to prepare for the mental rigors of the playoffs.
Item 4: Mitchell Marner Registers an Assist in Return From Injury
Mitch Marner successfully returned from an ankle injury, registering an assist in his team’s victory. This was his first game since March 7th, when he sustained the injury. Despite the layoff, Marner looked exactly like he did before the injury. He logged 17:20 of ice time.
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Marner will likely need time to shake off rust over the Maple Leafs’ final six games of the regular season. However, there’s no reason to rush that process by playing him 22 minutes a game, as was typical when the team was fighting for postseason positioning.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
While they are not alone in returning to the Maple Leafs lineup, as the team heads into the final stretch of the regular season, two key players – Timothy Liljegren and Calle Jarnkrok – are targeting the final two games of the regular season for a comeback.
Liljegren, who’s still recovering from an upper-body injury, has been projected to return to action near the end of the regular season. However, his absence might extend to the playoffs. His injury, sustained in late March, lacked a specific timeline for his return. Jarnkrok, recovering from a hand injury, also has no certainty regarding his availability. Jarnkrok has resumed skating but remains a week away from potential game action.
In both cases, the Maple Leafs might exercise caution now that they’ve secured their playoff spot. When both players return, they will boost the team’s roster for the postseason.
