The Maple Leafs took a 3-1 lead on the seventh goal of the season by Brown at 9:34 from close in on a pass from Hyman.
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The first period, played before a sellout crowd at BMO Field in Toronto, was scoreless, and there was one penalty, against Detroit’s Brendan Smith for tripping in the opening minutes of the period.
The Toronto Maple Leafs splurged for four third-period goals, then needed overtime to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Sunday at BMO Field to extend their winning streak to five games. “The Leafs’ organization assured us it would be, and it’s clear they recognize the passion of their fan base”. And with 12 goals in his past 16 games, his rapid development has been fascinating to watch unfold. Matthews is on pace for just over 220 with clubs averaging nearly three fewer power plays per game.
Martin jokes that the only reason he goes to movies with Marner is because “he needs help to get in”. But of all the events and celebrations the league has planned for the next year, one that fans have been looking forward to most is the official unveiling of the 100 greatest players to ever suit up in the league. He’s going to understand more.
“You know, we’ve got a lot of young guys on our team that are all experiencing this together, and there’s still a lot of guys from that team that made the playoffs and had that heartbreak against Boston”, said Marner.
“In saying that, it doesn’t matter who you play him against and what situation”. But I see them on the highlights.
“I think they bring that spark and that life back into this team”.
Mantha, 22, was a 2013 first-round draft pick who scored 81 goals in 81 games (regular season and playoff combined) his final season in junior hockey, establishing sky-high expectations for his professional debut.
Mantha only scored 15 goals in his injury-marred rookie season in Grand Rapids, a leg ailment in training camp delaying his start. My pals are watching Leafs games with the kind of genuine interest I haven’t seen in a long time. “He’s a guy you love on your team. He’ll be a leader, he’ll be a captain of this team”.
In front of 40,000-plus fans on a cloudless day, one of the most exciting, yet most erratic teams in the National Hockey League this season arrived on the grand stage.
It’s quite the turnaround from three years ago when Toronto last met Detroit in an outdoor game. “This league is about getting points and we need to get them about as consistently as we can”. “He’s doing a good job for us”.
Matthews is well aware of the audience reach of the Centennial Classic, but don’t expect the added exposure to phase him. But then along came a seven-goal third period and overtime that sent home happy the 40,148 souls who’d endured two periods of plodding hockey on cold metal benches.
“Your family makes such a big sacrifice and commitment to you”, Matthews said. “The city is buzzing right now”. But you also have to realize it’s a game and it’s an important game for us.
Moving on to today, for the second time in three years the Red Wings and Leafs will play a outdoor game. “In the end, I guess it was a good show for the fans”.
“He wants to be great”, Babcock said. “It compels you to be a better team and when you care for each other on a personal level, you care for each other even more on the ice”.
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Thanks in a big way to the 19-year-old American who is fast-tracking a storied Canadian team back into competitive relevance.
