The Toronto Maple Leafs knew going into Game 2 at TD Garden that they had to win this game in order to even the series. They had to rely on their forward core, the leaders of their team. The league’s top goal scorer, Auston Matthews, granted their wish in Game 2, and he’s the main reason Toronto is returning home with a 1-1 draw before playing in Toronto on Wednesday.
Matthews Delivered an Entire Performance
Matthews hasn’t played in many standout playoff performances since his debut in the 2017 playoffs. Among the ones that come to mind are the 2023 Game 4 against Tampa Bay, where he assisted Toronto in mounting.
On Tuesday, Matthews showed off his strength and had a hand in all three Toronto goals. He provided the primary assist on Max Domi’s goal, which leveled the score just moments after the Bruins had taken a 1-0 lead. On John Tavares’ power-play goal that knotted the game at 2-2, he contributed yet another assist. Finally, he gave the Leafs the lead with a goal of his own on a breakaway, using one of the dirtiest maneuvers we have seen in these playoffs between a shooter and a goalie.
Matthews was productive in ways that aren’t evident from the morning highlights, even when he wasn’t scoring three points. Specifically, the time he smothered the puck into his goalie’s gloves after discovering a loose puck behind Ilya Samsonov.
The Line of Matthews was the greatest in the game.
Leading the Leafs’ offensive attack, Matthews needed teammates who could support him as Toronto pursued victory. Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, his two linemates, provided him with that assistance. The Leafs’ victory in Game 2 was largely attributed to Domi and Bertuzzi, despite the fact that head coach Sheldon Keefe has only had them together for a month.
After Matthews struck the crossbar on Domi’s first goal, Bertuzzi tied up his defender in front of the net, giving Domi a clear opportunity to fire and no one nearby to block him.
