TORONTO – Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have been in Saturday’s lineup for the Maple Leafs.
The crew’s famous person forwards had simply gone toe-to-toe lower than 48 hours earlier in an emotional, edge-of-your-seat 4 Nations Face-Off last in Boston.
Marner arrange Connor McDavid’s dramatic time beyond regulation winner that pushed Canada to a dramatic 3-2 victory towards Matthews and america to cap the riveting showcase event.
Toronto barely wanted its dynamic duo early towards the Carolina Hurricanes. The membership was then compelled to lean on them late.
The Leafs led 4-0 with slightly below 5 minutes left within the first interval earlier than the guests pushed the rating to 4-3 late within the third earlier than Matthews iced the sport into the empty web after each he and Marner performed some exhausting minutes with the sport doubtful.
“Everybody else had a little bit (break) and so they’re in all probability taking part in essentially the most intense video games of the season and have to return again and get proper again into it,” stated Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who completed with 31 saves in what ended as a 6-3 win. “Kudos to them. They got here out, performed extraordinarily nicely for us at each ends of the ice.
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Matthews, who completed with 19 minutes 14 seconds of ice time, scored his 389th profession purpose to tie Darryl Sittler for second on Toronto’s all-time listing behind Mats Sundin (420).
Marner performed 19:33, whereas William Nylander, who suited up for Sweden on the 4 Nations, however hadn’t performed since Monday afternoon, completed with two assists in 19:58 of motion.
“They receives a commission the large bucks, however on the finish of the day, they grind it, too,” Leafs ahead Steven Lorentz, who made a terrific play to arrange David Kampf’s 3-0 purpose, stated of Matthews and Marner. “They’re clearly very expert and so they can put the puck within the web, however when the minutes rise up there with them, you don’t actually see it an entire lot.
“They’re contemporary and so they’re at all times able to go.”
Leafs rookie Alex Steeves opened the scoring together with his first NHL purpose. He stated there wasn’t a lot speak pre-game about Toronto’s large weapons missing gasoline within the tank.
“These guys are the very best on the earth and so they’ll be able to go,” stated the 25-year-old. “The message was simply simplicity and get on the offence immediately and actually, actually push.”
Leafs centre John Tavares stated the bodily, psychological and emotional dedication the gamers expended within the 4 Nations can’t be discounted.
“They’re avid gamers,” he stated of Matthews and Marner. “Made some key performs for us at key occasions and do what they do … nice to have them again and get going right here.”
SIGH OF RELIEF
Steeves, who scored in his twelfth NHL recreation, leads the American Hockey League with 29 objectives this season for the Toronto Marlies.
“It felt actually good,” stated the ahead from Saint Paul, Minn. “Little bit of a reduction, actually.”
Steeves, who added an help to offer him three profession factors, took a go from Tavares earlier than firing previous Carolina netminder Pyotr Kochetkov simply 2:50 into Saturday’s recreation.
The undrafted free agent out of the College of Notre Dame signed with the Leafs in March 2021. He performed three NHL video games in each 2021-22 and 2022-23, as soon as in 2023-24, and dressed 4 extra occasions earlier this season.
“Any time anybody will get referred to as up, you simply wish to make an affect,” Steeves stated. “I’m a goal-scorer and I do know that. And I do know I generally is a goal-scorer at this stage — simply proving that with a pleasant end.”
CHALLENGE NOT ACCEPTED
Toronto head coach Craig Berube considered difficult Carolina’s first purpose with lower than eight minutes left in regulation after calling a timeout.
“It was tight and shut,” he stated. “In that scenario, it’s acquired to be 110 per cent.”
Berube then joked: “It was solely 105.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 22, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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