The Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday (Jan. 20) as they looked to come away with another win. They were coming off of a massive comeback victory over the Montreal Canadiens where they picked up a 7-3 win, after fighting back from a three-goal deficit early in the game.
They made sure not to fall behind against a much stronger team in the Lightning and while it was a close matchup for the entire game, the Maple Leafs were able to come away with a 5-3 victory. With that being said, here are some takeaways from the recent win.
Auston Matthews’ Confidence Shines Through
One of the strongest players for the Maple Leafs in the game was Auston Matthews, who was able to score a goal and add an assist for two points with five shots on goal, one hit, and one blocked shot.
His defensive awareness remains one of his biggest strengths and he continues to showcase why he is consistently in the conversation for best defensive forward on an annual basis. However, his offensive confidence was obvious as he tried to pull off the famous “Michigan” move, but was stopped by Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson.
Matthew Knies Continues to Impress
Matthew Knies has been one of the most consistent players in the NHL this season at both ends of the ice, and he did well again against the Lightning helping as a key factor to help the Maple Leafs pick up a win. He picked up his first assist of the night on the first goal from Matthews and followed it up with a goal in the second period to extend the lead heading into the second period. He also notched another goal in the middle of the third period, which stood as the game-winning goal giving him three points on the night.
Joseph Woll Has Solid Performance
Another strong performance has to be noticed as goaltender Joseph Woll helped backstop the Maple Leafs to a victory. They were outshot 30-28 by the Lightning and Woll was able to stop 27 of 30 shots, which comes out to a .900 save percentage (SV%), to help pick up his 17th win of the season. This season, he has posted a .907 SV% and a 2.69 goals-against-average (GAA) through 25 games played notching just one shutout. His strong play as the team deals with an injury to Anthony Stolarz has helped the Maple Leafs maintain a spot atop the Atlantic Division, and he had yet another strong showing to help his team get two points.
Jake McCabe Makes Huge Difference
Jake McCabe is somebody who deserves to be recognized on a nightly basis because of his strong defensive play. He has consistently proven himself to be one of the strongest defensive-minded defenders in the NHL, and the game against the Lightning was no different. He didn’t get on the score sheet, but he had three blocked shots and one hit while dominating the defensive zone and helping shut down the Lightning. When he’s healthy, the Maple Leafs are one of the toughest teams to play against because of their defensive depth.
The Maple Leafs are back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 22) when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning are right back in action as they take on the Canadiens on Tuesday (Jan. 21) in hopes of bouncing back.
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