5 takeaways from Leafs-Penguins: Woll submits poor start, Matthews, Nylander elevate at the right time

Matthew Knies scored one of the goals of the season, recording a buzzer-beater with 0.1 seconds remaining in the second period. Knies finished with a goal and an assist, in a stellar night for the Maple Leafs’ top line. Rickard Rakell notched his second goal of the contest 10 seconds into the third period, sending the game to overtime.

It was a good omen, as the Leafs simply don’t lose in overtime and William Nylander walked it off with a casual release. Toronto returns home to host the San Jose Sharks on Monday, while proving its bonafides as a real contender through 60 games.

Here are five takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 6-5 win:

• Joseph Woll submitted a poor start for the Maple Leafs, a rare occurrence throughout the season. Woll allowed a soft goal to Rickard Rakell, when the puck ricocheted off the boards and he couldn’t track the open man. Sidney Crosby later beat Woll through the wickets on what should’ve been a routine stop. There were a few culprits on Bryan Rust’s goal as well, but it’s a play where Woll should’ve made a save, as well. Woll was fighting through an illness throughout the week, so perhaps that factored into his performance Sunday. This is a different Maple Leafs team from previous years, that used to get sunk by poor goaltending routinely. Toronto won in spite of its goaltender Sunday, which was an aberration from how the season has gone overall.
• Auston Matthews didn’t have a perfect game, but he elevated his game at the right time. Matthews scored his first goal of the road trip and worked throughout the game to generate chances for his linemates, working a strong two-man game with Matthew Knies. He wasn’t perfect defensively, as he was burned by Rickard Rakell to start the third period, but he was disruptive throughout the game, using his size and positioning well. Matthews finished with six shots, and there’s an expectation for him to shoot the lights out, but he’s making winning plays for the Maple Leafs consistently. Toronto controlled 71 percent of the expected goals when Matthews was on the ice at 5-on-5, a team-best share in the winning effort. The actual goals will begin to pour in, soon enough.
• John Tavares was excellent throughout the game, and it’s fitting he scored on a breakaway, slipping behind the Penguins’ defence to tie the game in the final minute of the second period. Jake McCabe sent a perfect long-range pass that cut through a poor line change, and Tavares made no mistake. He was pushing himself into high-danger areas and was looking for his own shot, finishing with five shots. Pontus Holmberg made an excellent pass to Conor Timmins during the first period, he drew a penalty, and looks like a new man coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. William Nylander scored the overtime winner after a relatively quiet game for the Leafs’ winger during regulation. This trio outshot the Penguins 10-4, and it’ll be interesting to see whether Calle Jarnkrok’s impending return will force Craig Berube to make some adjustments, or if he’ll keep his top-six intact, prior to Friday’s trade deadline. It’s a combination we know that works, and it’s an adjustment he can make during the playoffs.
• Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins quietly submitted one of their best games of the season. Benoit’s physicality paid off against the Penguins and he didn’t play himself out of position, Timmins mitigated his risk, made smart plays and contributed by crashing down and roofed home a great feed from Holmberg, taking advantage of some poor defence from the Penguins. Marshall Rifai is pushing for a roster spot with Chris Tanev on injured reserve retroactive to February 25, but Toronto’s bottom pair quietly responded with a great game, where they both boasted a plus-five goal differential and weren’t on the ice for any goals against.
• We don’t want to pick on a player unfairly, but once again, Ryan Reaves did nothing to contribute to the victory. Toronto’s fourth line of Connor Dewar, David Kampf and Ryan Reaves were outshot 7-2, and pucks constantly died on Reaves’ stick. He carelessly iced the puck, he didn’t record a shot on goal, and the Maple Leafs have better options for the fourth line on the roster. There’s no reason why Alex Steeves should be sitting in the press box, while Reaves makes minimal impact to a winning lineup.