With his 65th goal of the year, Auston Matthews once again demonstrated his scoring power and helped the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime on Monday at Scotiabank Arena.
Just 1:30 into overtime, Jake McCabe secured the victory by converting a Matthews assist into a game-winning shot that beat Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Matthews’ game-winning goal came just before McCabe’s.
Maple Leafs win in overtime
McCabe was ecstatic, saying, “Auston caught me on the backside, and I managed to slip one past.” Although we had a slow start, we did a good job of responding. It was good to win one back for [Ilya] Samsonov, who was fantastic for us the entire evening.”
The Maple Leafs prevailed, continuing their current winning streak to five games in a row, despite a heroic effort from the Penguins, who had won four straight games before.
Drew O’Connor and Rickard Rakell both scored goals for the Penguins, which added to their excellent play. But Matthews’ outstanding performance was the real star of the show, as his goal tied Alex Ovechkin for the most goals scored by an active player in a single season.
McCabe, Matthews’ teammate, praised his extraordinary talent, saying, “That’s fantastic, man. Just like you guys who are watching, we too are in wonder. His ability to score goals for us is undoubtedly what I appreciate most about his play, but he also plays excellent defense.”
Even though they lost in overtime, the Penguins battled hard to get a point, demonstrating their tenacity and willpower. Coach Mike Sullivan highlighted his team’s dedication and chemistry on the ice while applauding their effort.
Both sides shown remarkable skill and tenacity during the fierce struggle, creating an exciting clash that had fans’ attention until the very last beep sounded. The Penguins skated off the ice with their heads held high, ready to recover for their next battle, as the Maple Leafs celebrated their victory.
