The TSN Hockey panel break down Alex Ovechkin’s game-winning goal against the Maple Leafs, examine Toronto’s bad habit of coughing up two-goal leads and take a closer look at Auston Matthews’ fantastic pass to Leo Komarov.
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In the celebration that followed his his game victor – his 20th goal of the season and second of the game – Matthews grabbed fourth-line winger Matt Martin and told him what his third-period scrap with Detroit’s Steve Ott meant to him.
The Arizona Coyotes have lost seven in a row – including five straight at home – since a 3-2 shootout win at Toronto on December 15. Toronto rookie Auston Matthews would later score the huge game-winning goal in three-on-three overtime.
“I didn’t think we were very good”, Babcock said. Detroit forced an overtime with a goal from Anthony Mantha in the last few seconds of the game.
In fact, Matthews was on the ice for six goals overall in the Centennial Classic, three for each team.
With the Leafs’ dads sitting private boxes in one end of the building, along on the annual fathers trip, Nazem Kadri and Connor Brown scored in the first period after Justin Williams opened the scoring for Washington.
Matthews had 12 points (eight goals and four assists) in 12 games to win the honour. He’s got a skill set that allows him to do things a lot of other people can’t do. Instead, he is letting him get acclimated to the game in a lesser role, where he has found nothing but success. We knew where to go.
Former Red Wings forward Igor Larionov turned the tables on a question regarding what he thinks of the NHL’s expansion to southern USA markets paying off by inspiring players such as Matthews to turn to hockey. He has 16 points in 22 games since being recalled on November 11.
“It’s the confidence”, Manta said. I don’t think you can learn until you are in those. The rink itself was placed on a tableau of the No. 100, signifying both the centennial season for both the Leafs and National Hockey League. It was his first two-goal game of his young career.
The Washington Capitals, meanwhile, defeated the Ottawa Senators 2-1.
Chorney’s shot from the point beat goalie Mike Condon through a screen.
Mantha had a 10-game stint in Detroit last season and totaled two goals and an assist, but he also had a minus-6 rating.
Karl Alzner also scored for Washington, and Braden Holtby stopped 23 shots. Kyle Turris picked up goal No. 13 on the season. It was quite the sloppy game for Toronto as the game progresses, they seemed to sit back a bit too much and not be aggressive enough offensively which led to Washington having more puck time and more offensive opportunities.
“It’s the process of a young team but at the same time it’s not the road we want to go down”, Matthews said of the third-period trouble. But, the Capitals survived the two-man deficit. Matthews has only played in 36 games, so you have to believe that the record is his for the taking.
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Corey Perry scored the decisive goal in the shoot-out, Ryan Kesler posted a hat-trick and goaltender John Gibson made 52 saves.
