The Toronto Maple Leafs stayed alive with a 2-0 win in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers, and Auston Matthews finally snapped his second-round scoring drought.
But it wasn’t just the goal that caught Craig Berube’s attention, with the Leafs honcho praising all other aspects of Matthews’ game.
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Matthews opened the scoring midway through the third period after Mitch Marner capitalized on a Florida mistake and found the Leafs’ captain in stride.
Matthews slid the puck under Sergei Bobrovsky to give Toronto the lead, ending a 10-game goalless stretch in the second round and scoring the game-winning goal that forced Game 7.
“I mean, that felt great,” Matthews said about finally scoring in the Panthers series.
Still, Berube emphasized what Matthews brought away from the puck.
“He plays 200 feet for me,” Berube said. “Touches all areas of the game and got a big goal for us tonight, obviously. It starts with his determination. His leadership that way, and you know it rubs off on the rest of our team.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) during warm-up before a Stanley Cup Playoffs game at Scotiabank Arena.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Berube leaned heavily on Matthews late in Game 6, with the captain playing 2:54 of the final 3:32, according to The Athletic, winning a defensive-zone faceoff, blocking a shot, and ensuring the Leafs return to Toronto on Friday with their season still alive.
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Toronto now turns its focus to that decisive Game 7 on home ice, with Berube entering the outing boasting a positive 2-1 record in Game 7s, including the Stanley Cup clincher with the Blues in 2019.
Game 7 between the Maple Leafs and Panthers is scheduled for Sunday at Scotiabank Arena with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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