The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the best teams in the NHL at this time. And performances like Monday night’s are one reason why. Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs cruised to a win over the Calgary Flames on home ice. It was a welcomed sight for Matthews and Toronto given how things have gone since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Matthews has not played to his usual standard since the league returned to action. There are certainly a number of factors that go into it. But none of it mattered on Monday night. The Maple Leafs captain scored two goals and added an assist in a 6-2 win over the Flames. After the game, he spoke about why his team played so well in front of their home fans.
“I just felt we came out with the right intensity, the right attitude and focus, and I thought it translated throughout the whole game,” Matthews said, via NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. “So it’s nice to get back into the win column. I just thought we did a lot of good things.”
Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews handle the Flames at home
Calgary is a good team that’s competing for a playoff spot at this time. The Flames have one of the best-performing goalies in the league in Dustin Wolf leading the way, as well. However, they have found themselves in a bit of a slump. And the Maple Leafs took full advantage.
Matthews led the way with three points, five shots, and 13 wins in 17 faceoff attempts. But he certainly wasn’t alone in his efforts on Monday. William Nylander also had three points, scoring a goal and two assists. Veteran Max Domi provided a goal and an assist of his own, as well.
It’s the sort of performance the Maple Leafs know they are capable of. And it’s a performance they’ll need to try and replicate moving forward. Toronto is in a three-team race with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers for the Atlantic Division crown. Failing to win the division means facing one of these juggernauts in the first round of the playoffs.
In the interim, Toronto’s next opponent is the Colorado Avalanche. That contest will also be a difficult one for this club. But they can certainly enjoy the win on Monday night, as well as taking some things with them to their next contest.
“We know this week is going to be a challenging one,” Matthews said, via Ziesberger. “We’ve got to enjoy this. It’s not easy to win through adversity. So we’ll enjoy this and be ready for (the Avalanche) on Wednesday.”
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