Leafs-Lightning takeaways: Knies, Matthews, Marner, Nylander lead the way in stellar victory

Here are six takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 5-3 victory over the Lightning

• Auston Matthews delivered another excellent performance and it’s clear he’s all the way back. Critics and skeptics pointed to his sub-par — relative to his own standard — shooting percentage through the early parts of the year, but he’s ripping through opponents since returning to the lineup on January 4, and opened the scoring by flying in off the rush. Matthews has scored in four consecutive games and he’s working well to open lanes for Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies, who scored two goals of his own during the game. He won puck battles, he used his body well to tie up Lightning defenders in the corners, as Matthews finished the game with a team-best five shots in all situations. It wasn’t a perfect game from Toronto’s first line, as it was scored on when Darren Raddysh cut the lead to 3-2 on an excellent shot, but Matthews looks like the Hart Trophy candidate that is capable of leading the Leafs to new heights under a new regime. Matthews almost pulled off the Michigan early in the third period and his confidence is through the roof right now. “I didn’t see any other option. The puck was rolling. It was the beginning of the period, so the tape was fresh. I almost had it. I kinda quit attempting those couple years ago, but I just thought that was a reasonable attempt and had a pretty good opportunity,” Matthews said post-game of his lacrosse goal attempt.
• We wrote about this concept before during Knies’ five-point night against the Bruins on January 4, but he’s the greatest beneficiary from Matthews’ return to the lineup and tonight was a prime example. Good things happen when you get to the net, and Knies used his towering frame all night to occupy the Lightning defenders. Knies and Matthews ran a two-man weave through the neutral zone and when Tampa sent three defenders to collapse on Toronto’s captain, Matthews dished the puck to Marner, who found a wide-open Knies for his first goal. Knies cleaned up a rebound from a Marner shot and he’s a Lightning killer, as he has recorded seven goals and 15 points in 13 games (regular season and playoffs) cumulatively against the divisional rival during his young career.
• Marner was excellent in all facets, with strong work on the penalty kill, while dicing up the Lightning as a playmaker, finishing with a goal and three points on the evening. He hounded down defenders and with Matthews and Knies operating in top form, he picked his opportunities well, while being faceguarded at times by his Canada teammates, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has raved about Marner in the past, and perhaps he’ll be used in all situations at next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off, with a series of stellar showings with all eyes on him.
• William Nylander is the king of breakaways and slipped the Lightning’s defence twice, giving the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead during the second period. Nylander’s speed and elusivness were on full display throughout the contest, and he’s back up to 28 goals on the season. Good teams find their way into three-game winning streaks evidently, and head coach Craig Berube affectionally referred to Nylander as breakaway man. He might be the NHL’s best player at evading defenders in transition at this point. “He’s always cheating for offense and I mean that in the best way possible,” Matthews said of Nylander post-game.
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson put together another solid game, while getting involved offensively, while Chris Tanev saved a goal, clearing the puck off the line while the Maple Leafs held onto a 4-3 lead. Jake McCabe continued to play with real physicality and stuck up for Marner after he got dropped near the bench on a well-timed hit. Morgan Rielly was fine as well, but he may be operating as Toronto’s No. 4 at the moment — you want more out of Rielly, but if he can get some rest and an uptick in form entering the playoffs, it’s possible the Leafs have another half-gear to unlock.
• Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins have been unplayable since December but they responded with one of their best showings of the season. It wasn’t flashy, but Timmins cut his risk profile and made smart exits, Benoit played with physicality but didn’t seek a big hit at the expense of his positioning. Benoit-Timmins each finished with a plus-five chance differential, as Benoit led Toronto with a 76.9 percent share of the expected goals at 5-on-5, while Timmins reached a 75.5 percent share. It’s just one game of course, but fair is fair and Benoit-Timmins deserve a ton of praise for a strong showing against a potential divisional rival, with Philippe Myers pushing for his renewed place in the lineup.