Auston Matthews (Glenn James, Getty Images)
Auston Matthews dominated once again as the Leafs held off an efficient Dallas Stars team in overtime.
Here are my 5 takeaways from Toronto's victory after a frustrating spell in regulation forced them to end the game in OT.
1. Dominant Matthews
There is no debate about it anymore. Auston Matthews is the greatest Leaf of all-time and this is the greatest season by a Leaf in their rich history. He's the clear Hart Trophy favourite currently and there is nobody on his level. His 82-game pace this season is 68 goals and 120 points. His 13.1 Defensive Rating is in the 87th percentile in the entire NHL, so I won't tolerate any slander against his defensive ability. His market value this year is a whopping $21.7 million. This guy is a world-class player.
This game in Dallas was pretty impressive, even by his standards. He fired a career-high 12 shots on goal. He scored two goals, including a beautiful OT winner past Scott Wedgewood. He also was very active defensively.
The Auston Matthews draft completely changed the outlook for Toronto as a franchise and we must give him credit for single-handedly turning around the Leafs in the past half-decade. The scary thing about Matthews is that he is still yet to reach his prime. If scoring keeps increasing, there will be a year when a healthy Matthews scores 70 goals in a single season.
2. Leafs on a Roll
Don't look now, but the Leafs are starting to pull away from some of the other Atlantic Division teams. The 6-point gap to Florida is almost insurmountable when you consider how well the Panthers are playing, but they are now 5 points ahead of both the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning with just 11 games left in the regular season. Outside of games against all three of those teams, the Leafs have a schedule easy enough to seal home-ice advantage for the first round.
Though home-ice advantage is not a significant advantage, it does help give an advantage in a do-or-die Game 7, which we know the Leafs have an allergic reaction to.
If the Leafs can continue this stretch in which they are 9-2-1 in their last 12 games with two absolute superstars gunning, they could be playing at Scotiabank Arena more than they will on the road. Let's just hope that they don't have to play Tampa Bay.
3. Spezza Gets Scratched Again
Once again, there was no Jason Spezza on the fourth line. Rookie Nick Abruzzese was in Spezza's place yet again. I'm wondering if this is a test of Abruzzese's talent or an actual indictment of Jason Spezza.
Spezza's production has predictably fallen off a cliff this season, but he is still a pretty solid player. His faceoff prowess is very helpful and he is a good energy figure for the bottom-six. Abruzzese has struggled to produce so far at the NHL level, but he hasn't made any dreadful mistakes as of yet. I haven't loved his game, but I've liked it.
I have the feeling that Keefe will opt for Spezza in the postseason, but it doesn't make sense to continue scratching him, as he'll be rusty when the physical play of the first round starts. I subscribe to the belief that middling prospects shouldn't be risked in the playoffs, as they'll be targeted physically and not be able to hit back. A veteran like Spezza is experienced enough to avoid those types of plays.
It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
4. Lyubushkin Puts in Good Account for Himself
The more I think about the Leafs' defense situation, the more I feel that Justin Holl belongs on the outside looking in. He reminds me a little bit of former Leaf Jake Gardiner. However, Keefe seems to trust him in a pickle, which gives me the idea that he'll probably be on the Game 1 roster.
However, Ilya Lyubushkin came in after a mixed game from Holl in Florida. I thought he did well. As usual, his physicality and proficiency at defending against the rush allows his D partner to rush up and contribute offensively. I would really like to see "Boosh" in the playoffs, not only because he's a big body mover.
This is the group I would like to see in the playoffs:
Rielly-Lyubushkin
Giordano-Liljegren
Muzzin-Brodie
This is what I expect to see:
Rielly-Lyubushkin
Muzzin-Holl
Giordano-Brodie
I don't know which one I like better, but it shows Toronto's defensive depth that I trust either one.
5. Change Those Jerseys
My main takeaway for Dallas this game was that their neon green jerseys are absolutely disgusting. They give me motion sickness. I don't know what was wrong with the original Stars jerseys, but the fact that Dallas wears these on a semi-regular basis hurts my brain.
They have to get rid of those right away. They are absolutely awful. I'm so glad we don't play against Dallas for the rest of the year.
(adidas.com)
Oh man, that is painful.
ALL STATS COURTESY OF MONEYPUCK AND NATURAL STAT TRICK
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