6 takeaways from Leafs-Panthers Game 6: Matthews forces Game 7 with most important goal of career

Max Pacioretty added an insurance goal, converting a feed from Bobby McMann off the rush and the Maple Leafs held on for the 2-0 victory, forcing Game 7 on Sunday at Scotiabank Arena.

Joseph Woll was excellent when called upon, making 22 saves in the winning effort.

Here are six takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ victory over the Panthers

• Auston Matthews responded with precisely the type of performance that the market, fan base and media alike were demanding. Facing elimination, Matthews was far more active than he was in Game 5, hounding down pucks and skating through contact despite a lingering injury that has ailed him throughout the series. This was evident from the outset, as Matthews set up a Simon Benoit point shot in the first period, then worked in conjunction with Mitch Marner to set up a golden chance for Matthew Knies, who was turned away on a great toe save by Sergei Bobrovsky. Matthews then fought through another obstacle, as he was high-sticked by Aleksander Barkov off a faceoff and briefly headed to the locker room. He returned for a power play and then was promptly called for a high-sticking penalty on Aaron Ekblad. It could’ve been a distraction but a fuming Matthews shook it off, and then beat Bobrovsky cleanly in the third period, a moment of catharsis that also served as the timeliest goal of his career. This is why Matthews wears the ‘C’ now. Knies-Matthews-Marner out-chanced the Panthers 11-3 at 5-on-5, outshot them 4-1, with a 99 percent share of the expected goals via MoneyPuck. Matthews also finished with a team-leading four shots. It was a drastically different showing from Game 5, and now the Leafs are onto a pivotal Game 7 on Sunday.
• Mitch Marner responded from the worst game of his career with a bounceback effort in his own right. Marner was outstanding on the penalty kill — where Steven Lorentz, Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe also deserve major plaudits — while looking to generate for his linemates throughout the night. It wasn’t necessarily the type of game from Marner where he’s waltzing through the offensive zone and making it look easy, but rather, he took what the Panthers gave him, got engaged in battles and helped his team sustain plays in the offensive third. And with the game still up for grabs, Marner won a puck battle as Aaron Ekblad fumbled a pass from Gustav Forsling, then found Matthews, who made no mistake. If Marner can deliver another Leafs victory, he will certainly be owed an apology in many spaces, this one included, after delivering a response the critics demanded.
• Joseph Woll was excellent when called upon, and though he wasn’t subject to a constant barrage of shots like he did in the three losses, he was cool, calm and composed in the 22-save effort. Woll became the first Leafs goaltender to record a shutout in an elimination game since 2002, and he has the full confidence of his teammates entering Game 7. If you recall, Woll suffered an injury in Game 6 against the Boston Bruins in the first round of last year’s playoffs after a sensational performance and was ruled out for Game 7. It’s a different set of circumstances, but Woll be locked in for the biggest game of his young career.
• Toronto’s depth scoring dried up throughout the series, but Max Pacioretty once again responded with another timely goal, separating himself from the rest of the bottom-six. Pacioretty isn’t fazed by anything at this stage of his career and was a needed physical presence in the lineup once again, with three hits and made the most of his limited ice time. Holding onto a tenuous 1-0 lead, Pacioretty raced to the net and backhanded a feed from Bobby McMann off the rush for the insurance marker. It was McMann’s best play of the postseason as well and could serve as the moment that unlocks his offence in what’s been a trying spell of the year. And to think that Pacioretty was held out of the first two games of this year’s playoffs! He’s been the unsung hero that every team needs on a deep playoff run.
• Matthew Knies laboured through an injury after attempting to land a hit on Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola during the first period. Mikkola threw a reverse hit on Knies, and the 22-year-old was wincing on the bench. Knies missed one shift during the first period, returned to the second period, was taken off the power play, was thrown onto the third line, before returning to his normal spot permanently for the third period. It was a gutsy performance from Knies and though it’s somewhat unthinkable that the emerging star could miss Game 7, his status is still unclear for the closeout game. Toronto can’t afford to lose Knies at this stage of the year, as he’s often been the engine on the first line, and if he can’t play, perhaps Pacioretty gets the bump to the first line.
• Toronto’s penalty kill was outstanding, led by Marner, Tanev, McCabe and Lorentz. Marner was hounding lanes, Lorentz made several easy exits, while McCabe and Tanev did a great job of winning board battles and suffocating the point of attack. Throughout the game, the Maple Leafs put on a shot-blocking clinic, with Tanev leading the way, while the rest of the defence followed suit. This was perhaps the starkest difference between Game 5 and 6, as Toronto’s defencemen made it very difficult for Florida to get clean looks. Florida’s defencemen are activating off the rush and Toronto knew how to account for the extra attacker and didn’t appear fazed by the tenacity and velocity. It wasn’t necessarily a pretty win, but it was precisely the type of victory this Leafs team needed, with a chance to silence some narratives on Sunday night.