In an important game, Auston Matthews led the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday (Dec. 23) night. What a streak Matthews is on. He extended his goal-scoring streak to seven straight games, pumping in two goals and adding an assist. His NHL-leading goal total now sits at 28 goals for the season.
William Nylander also continued his outstanding scoring. He added a short-handed goal and two assists, and by doing so, he also extended his point streak to an impressive 11 games. The combined efforts of Matthews and Nylander helped Toronto stop a two-game losing streak and head into the holiday break on a positive note. Just to catch up on the rest of the team’s Core Four, John Tavares also scored for Toronto, and Mitch Marner contributed two assists to the team’s win.
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In this edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at aspects of the game from the player’s point of view and comment on their seasons going into the Christmas break.
Item 1: Sean Kuraly Suffers Abdominal Injury
Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly was hospitalized after sustaining an abdominal injury in the final 19 seconds of the first period. He got sandwiched between Maple Leafs Matthews and defenseman Jake McCabe behind the Toronto net. After initially getting up, Kuraly hunched over and skated to the bench. However, as he was heading down the tunnel, he collapsed, prompting teammates and coaches to urgently signal for medical help.
The game was temporarily suspended due to the severity and scary nature of the incident. Later during the game, it was announced that the injury did not appear to be serious; however, Kuraly was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. I have not read any medical updates since last night.
Item 2: Martin Jones Looked Good, Once Again
Goalie Martin Jones played a key role in the win, making 27 saves to contribute to the team’s solid performance. Jones’ solid goalie play represented a collective sigh of relief among Toronto fans. He’s now 4-1-0 in four starts with a 2.79 goals-against-average (GAA) and .917 save percentage.
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With Ilya Samsonov struggling, Jones has become the de facto starter in the absence of Joseph Woll, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Fortunately, he’s also become a reliable presence between the pipes for the Maple Leafs. The win against the Blue Jackets further solidifies his position as the team’s current key goalie. He’s been, except for the one glitch against the Buffalo Sabres, a steady force in the net.
Item 3: Auston Matthews Scores 2 Goals, Once Again
In yet another great performance, Matthews netted two goals and added an assist in the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on Saturday night. Both Matthews one-timers seemed close to identical. The first put the Maple Leafs into the lead 8:20 into the first period. And the second goal – almost from the same spot on the ice – added to the Maple Leafs lead during the second period. With the goals, Matthews became the first NHL player since Jaromir Jagr in more than a quarter of a century (since the 1996-1997 season) to score 27 or more goals in the first 30 games of a season.
As noted earlier, Matthews extended his goal-scoring streak to seven straight games, with an impressive 12 goals during this stretch. It wasn’t long ago, he was so sick he couldn’t even skate. Funny thing about Matthews and his partner Marner. Logically, it might make sense to separate them. However, when you see two duplicate goals – both scored from the right circle and on beautiful set-ups from partner Marner – it makes it tough to mess with perfection. Marner and Matthews just seem to have a deal going, with Matthews able to take advantage of feeds from the always-assistive Marner.
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Now, with 28 goals in just 30 games, Matthews is simply dominating the NHL. Two questions emerge. First, can he hit 50 goals in 50 games? Second, he’s currently on a 76-goal pace. Even if he slows down, can he hit 70 goals this season?
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs will enjoy a three-day Christmas break before resuming their schedule with three games in four nights. They start with a home game against Ottawa under new Senators’ head coach Jacques Martin. That’s followed by away games against the Blue Jackets and a return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Maple Leafs head into the Christmas break tied for second in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers, both having 40 points, four behind the division-leading Boston Bruins, with Toronto having a game in hand. After 31 games this season, the Maple Leafs hold a record of 17-8-6, putting them on pace for 106 points, five less than last season.