9 Apr 2022 • 11 hours ago • 3 minutes reading • 27 comments Maple Leafs striker Auston Matthews (34) scores his second goal of the first half against the Canadiens in this shot at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday 9 April 2022. Photo by John E. Sokolowski / USA TODAY Sports
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Auston Matthews’ score secured a place for the Maple Leafs in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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Matthews scored two more goals Saturday night as the Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at the Scotiabank Arena, with Toronto’s seventh win in its last eight games closing a place after the season. With 58 goals, Matthews is two years away from becoming the first NHL player to score 60 goals in a 2011-12 season, when Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos finished with 60. Matthews’s first goal gave him 50 in 50 games, a ridiculous pace in every way. No NHL player had scored 50 in 50 games since 1995-96, when superstar Mario Lemieux did it for the Pittsburgh Penguins. “I do not really have much to say about it,” Matthews said. “It’s beautiful, it’s quite surreal. He is one of the best players to ever play this game. It’s extremely humble. “
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And with 99 points, Matthews is on the verge of becoming the fifth 100-point player in franchise history. Doug Gilmour and Darryl Sittler hit the milestone twice. Gilmour holds the club record with 127 points in 1992-93. The Leafs, now 47-19-6, reached 100 points for the sixth time in the franchise history. The 47 wins are the second in the history of the franchise, two less than the limit of 49, which came in 2017-18. “I feel good,” said defender Morgan Rielly about booking a place in the tournament after the season. “There is a lot of hockey to play, a lot of potential for movement within the standings, so I do not think we will read too much. “We have to keep playing great hockey, improve and make sure we take care of our business.”
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The breaking of Rick Vaive’s team record with 54 goals by Matthews was recognized in the center’s scoreboard during the first televised timeout in the first period, with Matthews receiving a brief round of applause. After breaking Vaive’s record in Dallas on Thursday against the Stars, Matthews and Vaive had the opportunity to bond on Saturday morning. “He had some very nice words,” Matthews said. “People like the one who came before us really paved the way and showed what it really means to be a Toronto Maple Leaf. “It is a great honor to be in the same proposal with him. Just a really cool day. “ Matthews gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead at 13:32 in the first period when they scored a rebound by Mark Giordano over Canadiens goalkeeper Jake Allen. This game marked the end of the night for Allen, who stretched along the fold and suffered a lower body injury.
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Matthews was quick to welcome Allen’s replacement, Sam Montebo, to the game. Just 27 seconds after beating Allen, Matthews tricked Montembeault with a low wrist shot at 13:59. “When the second one comes in, Spezz (Jason Spezza) turns (on the bench) and gives me eyes, like (what Matthews is doing) is something special,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “NO DOUBT. It’s fun.” Montreal reduced Toronto’s lead to 2-1 at 5:58 of the second with a goal by Joel Edmundson, but Leafs captain John Tavares restored the two-goal lead to 8:07. With less than two minutes to play in the second, Cole Caufield blocked Erik Kallgren for Montreal’s second goal. Sorry, but this video failed to load. Marner helped Matthews’s first goal, giving him 90 points this season. This extended Marner’s points streak to 13 games, in which he has 28 points (eight goals and 20 assists).
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“(Matthews), for obvious reasons, gets a lot of attention, but Mitch Marner was also on an incredible run,” Keefe said. “This duo takes our team to new heights.” Calgren made 24 saves in his ninth game in the NHL, setting his record at 5-2-1. He featured a stop in an excerpt from Caufield in the first, as well as a hard rebound in the shoulder in a move by Josh Anderson. Sorry, but this video failed to load. The Leafs have 10 games left and will have a break on Sunday before training on Monday to prepare for a home game against the Buffalo Sabers on Tuesday. “Reaching 100 points is a great achievement,” said Keefe. “We closed the playoffs and let us continue to build. Let’s do what we can to put ourselves in the best possible position both in the score and in the confidence of our team “. [email protected] twitter.com/koshtorontosun
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