Toronto Maple Leafs Prove They Are More Than Just Auston Matthews
Losing Auston Matthews could have been a disaster for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But the team has done remarkably well without him.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are proving they are more than just a team depending on Auston Matthews to do everything to succeed. They have won four straight games, including three in a row, without the reigning Calder Trophy winner in the lineup.
In Matthews’ absence, Toronto has seen their depth step up to fill the scoring void in key victories over the Minnesota Wild and sweeping the Boston Bruins in a home-and-home series.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
It can’t be understated how impactful it is for the Maple Leafs in the standings to win back-to-back games against a division rival despite missing their best player. Toronto now jumps eight points ahead of the Bruins in the Atlantic Division.
The player who has stepped up the most offensively without Matthews has been Mitch Marner. Marner has been struggling all season long yet when his team needed him most he found a way to deliver.
When the Maple Leafs were down by a goal with only a minute remaining in the first game against Boston, it was Marner who made an incredible pass to find James van Riemsdyk for tip-in goal to tie the game. Minutes later it’d be Marner carrying the play in overtime to help setup Patrick Marleau for the game-winning goal.
In the second game against Boston, Marner opened the scoring by picking-off a poor pass from Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo before firing the puck into the back of the net. He’d later add an assist to finish with four points while helping Toronto sweep the home-and-home series against Boston.
Along with Marner the Maple Leafs saw several other players step up as well. Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri recorded a point in all three games without the center. Patrick Marleau scored in all three games including the previously mentioned overtime winner. Finally, van Riemsdyk chipped in four points of his own, including the game-winning goal in the second game against Boston after his game-tying goal the night before.
It’d also be impossible to mention the success Toronto has had without mentioning the performances of the goaltenders. Frederik Andersen turned away 35 shots against Minnesota then two nights later denied 33 shots from Boston.
Not to be outdone, Curtis McElhinney went head-to-head with Tuukka Rask in Boston on the second night of a back-to-back and delivered an outstanding performance. The backup goaltender stopped 38 of 39 shot attempts securing the victory for the Maple Leafs.
Its no secret Toronto is playing with fire by allowing opponents to shoot over 30 shots per game. However, on these nights the goaltenders were up for the challenge, and without Matthews in the lineup, the team will take points in the standings anyway they can get them.
Next: Maple Leafs All-Time Dream Team
Still, even without Matthews, the Maple Leafs have shown there a team capable of holding their own against the rest of the league. Unlike teams like the Edmonton Oilers, who are struggling because Connor McDavid has to do everything. Toronto has now shown in multiple games they aren’t completely dependent on Matthews to succeed. Although, they certainly can’t wait to have him back in the lineup.