If you gifted an Auston Matthews jersey this holiday season, your timing was impeccable. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar, alongside a resurgent Matthew Knies, delivered a thrilling performance Saturday night, propelling their team to a 7-5 victory over the Ottawa Senators in the first Battle of Ontario clash of the season.
Dynamic Duo Reignites Leafs' Offence
Now deployed on separate lines and power-play units, Matthews and Knies were the driving force behind Toronto's offensive outburst. Matthew Knies scored twice, breaking a scoring drought that dated back to December 4, while Auston Matthews added a goal and two assists. Their combined six-point night was crucial in a game that saw wild momentum swings at Scotiabank Arena.
The win underscored the tight race within the Atlantic Division, but it came at a potential cost. The Leafs lost leading scorer William Nylander to a lower-body injury early in the second period. The severity of the injury was not immediately known, casting a shadow over an otherwise celebratory night.
A Game of Wild Swings and Power Play Success
The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Toronto exploded in the second period, firing a season-high 20 shots and scoring three goals to build a lead. However, their momentum stalled in the third, allowing the resilient Senators to claw back into contention. Ottawa twice closed to within a single goal before Knies' second tally of the night, which stood as the game-winner, provided a 6-4 cushion.
The Leafs' much-maligned power play showed immediate signs of life under new oversight. Following the recent firing of assistant Marc Savard and the promotion of Steve Sullivan to assist Derek Lalonde, the unit capitalized on its first two opportunities against the league's second-worst penalty kill. Matthews and Knies each scored with the man advantage in the first period.
"We all knew Sully coming in from his work with the (AHL) Marlies," said head coach Craig Berube. "It's a new voice, some different set-ups. We don't need to complicate anything right now, we need to get some feel back on the power play, get some chemistry going."
Historic Haunts and Playoff Echoes
The game continued Matthews' historic dominance over the provincial rival. His three-point performance gave him 51 points in just 36 career games against Ottawa. He now sits only four goals behind Mats Sundin's franchise record of 420.
For the Senators, the loss was a missed opportunity. The team had won five of its last seven games entering the contest, and all four of their recent losses had been by a single goal. They are determined to finish ahead of Toronto in the Atlantic Division for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
The rivalry, rekindled last spring when the Leafs eliminated the Senators in a six-game first-round playoff series, was palpable. For newcomer Dakota Joshua, it was an intense introduction. "We have to have that desperation you'd need if this was the last two games of the season," Joshua remarked before the game.
Other Leafs scorers included Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, and John Tavares with an empty-netter. Max Domi contributed three assists. For Ottawa, Tim Stutzle, Jordan Spence, and Drake Batherson found the net in the third-period push.
The Leafs, who were second-last in the Eastern Conference before the game, have little time to rest, facing another divisional opponent, the Detroit Red Wings, on Sunday.
