Auston Matthews continues to devastate the NHL goal-scoring charts. Toronto Maple Leafs won 4-2 against the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Matthews scored his season-record-breaking 49th goal and contributed an assist.
The first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews scored another hat trick in his last two games after he bagged two consecutive hat tricks in his previous games. His empty-net goal, a slap-shot from the slot on a power play halfway through the third period. He changed the game. Matthews has been a major agitator on the power play during the whole season. With a goal tally of 14 and nine assists in those game scenarios.
Maple Leafs Dominate Blues with Matthews and Nylander
Along with Matthews on the scoreboard, Knies and Nylander also added to the overall productivity. Nylander came up with a short-handed goal, depicting the Leafs’ efficiency. Bobby McMann capped the triumph with a goal from the en-net, while Mitchell Marner stole the show with his two assists.
Ilya Samsonov stepped up for Toronto in the goaltending position and earned 19 saves. He sealed his team’s fourth straight win and completed a sweep of the two-game series against the Blues. Meanwhile, Joel Hofer stopped 25 shots at the other end, but the Blues could not utilize enough chances.
Despite Saad’s and Krug’s goals for St. Louis, the Maple Leafs kept their ascendant trend. Saad’s 15th goal, a quick wrist shot with just 1 second left on the power play in the second period, was to even the score – 1-1. Nevertheless, in the third period, Matthews made heroics, and Nylander’s short-handed shot helped Toronto to win the game.
However, the Blues have not fared so well recently, with them losing three of their last four makes. They managed to add a late goal when Krug scored at 18:Play ended with Wild 5 to 2 even though they pulled their goalie.
Matthews Powers Leafs, Blues Look to Rebound in Next Matches
In summary, Matthews’ abilities to score goals, together with the strong team performance, have been the driving force behind the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the St. Louis Blues have to show revival form in the next match.
The Maple Leafs are going to match up with the Arizona Coyotes tonight with the goal of winning again. The Blues will have the Islanders of New York on their home ground on Thursday night and strive to recover from their recent deficiencies.