Maple Leafs report cards: Auston Matthews’ 3-point night helps Toronto cruise past Penguins

Make it three-straight wins for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mitch Marner opened the scoring in the first minute, and the team was awfully impressive defensively in front of Erik Källgren. Picking up two points with the third-string goaltender in net is always nice, and the Leafs continue to get the job done despite the absence of Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie. The combined cap hit of Toronto’s six defencemen was just $7.1 million, yet they frustrated Pittsburgh’s top forwards with stellar defensive play and held a 17-5 lead in shots on goal after 20 minutes.

The Leafs improve to 9-1-3 in the month of November, and they’ve now picked up at least a point in eight straight games. Their last regulation loss was to Pittsburgh back on November 11th, and they’ve now beat the Penguins twice since then. Mark Giordano and Justin Holl continue to look more than capable as a shutdown pair, and Sheldon Keefe deserves a ton of credit for his team’s commitment in the defensive end.

Pittsburgh’s top players were invisible tonight, while Marner and Auston Matthews were extremely impactful.

First star

Mitch Marner

Marner opened the scoring for the second-straight game, which extended his point streak to 16 games. He took advantage of a bad Penguins change and danced around Casey DeSmith with a gorgeous breakaway move. Perhaps he knew that Christina Aguilera was in the house, as this goal was dirty:

He was easily Toronto’s best player in the opening 20 minutes, as he finished with four shots on goal, set up several more, and wasn’t on the ice for a shot against at five-on-five. He made a nice read on the penalty kill and drew a hooking penalty to hand his team their first power play.

Marner picked up where he left off in the second, picking up another shot on goal in his first shift before setting up Tavares for a good chance in the slot. He picked up his sixth shot halfway through the game, then made a great individual effort to generate a takeaway and set up Pontus Holmberg:

Marner continues to look excellent in all situations. He finished with eight (!) shots on goal, and has now picked up a point in 21 of Toronto’s 23 games.

Second star

Auston Matthews

Matthews was held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games, but wasted no time putting an end to that streak. He made a nice heads-up play to send Marner on a breakaway one minute in, and Marner took full advantage. He looked a bit shaky at times, as he wasn’t able to capitalize on a couple of two-on-one rushes, but finished with two shots on goal after twenty minutes. He picked up his second primary assist on Toronto’s third goal by out-muscling Rickard Rakell to win a puck battle behind the net, then putting the puck on a tee for William Nylander in the slot:

Matthews has struggled to score at five-on-five this season, but iced this game with five minutes to play by beating DeSmith with a wrist shot. Michael Bunting’s excellent effort left him alone in front, and Matthews took full advantage. He finished with three primary points, all at five-on-five, and six shots on goal.

Third star Michael Bunting

Bunting’s effort on the back-check broke up a Penguins rush halfway through the first, and it also sent his line-mates on a two-on-one the other way. He had a good chance on the power play in the early second, and hit the cross-bar on a three-on-one shortly after:

Both of Toronto’s top-six lines were effective, and Bunting was a major reason why. Bunting was on the ice to defend a two-goal lead with under six minutes to play, and he almost single-handedly put the game out of reach with his individual effort. Getting the puck to Matthews while he’s all alone in the slot is usually a recipe for success! This was a fantastic game-ending play:

Player reports A

The shutdown pair (Mark Giordano and Justin Holl)

They’ve been outstanding as of late. The Penguins have been known for their star forwards since 2005, and given the team’s injury situation, they’ve been asked to match up against opposing top lines every night. Giordano is 39 and playing for close to the league minimum, yet he’s been on the ice for just six five-on-five goals through 23 games. Justin Holl had played over 23 minutes in his previous four games, and finished just shy at 21:13. Despite the heavy workload, he hasn’t been on the ice for a five-on-five goal during this five-game stretch.

Giordano made a nice breakout pass to send Matthews and Marner on a two-on-one. Holl won a key battle at the boards on Toronto’s first penalty kill to clear the puck, then intercepted a pass to do the same moments later. Toronto’s penalty kill was perfect tonight, and Pittsburgh’s stars were invisible. This pair deserves a ton of credit for their play as of late.

A-

The second pair (Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren)

These young defencemen are no longer getting sheltered minutes given the team’s current injury situation, but they haven’t missed a beat. The Leafs have won Liljegren’s minutes by expected goals in five straight games, and the team has won his five-on-five minutes 11-4 so far this season. He played a part in Toronto’s successful penalty kill, while Sandin looked more than capable on the top power-play unit. The team generated plenty of scoring chances when they were on the ice, and they didn’t get scored on either.

Pontus Holmberg

Holmberg scored just one goal in nine games with the Marlies this season, but has already doubled that total at the NHL level. He always seems to be in the right place, and while he’s more known for his defensive play, he made a nice shot to double Toronto’s lead halfway through the game. The Penguins were just starting to outplay the Leafs, and Holmberg made things far more comfortable for Toronto’s defence. He also won a battle to set up Sandin in a pretty good spot halfway through the first. He’s not the flashiest player in the world, but his line has been noticeably more effective since he joined the team.

B+

The checking line (Zach Aston-Reese, David Kämpf, and Denis Malgin)

Their job is to play boring low-event hockey, and they did that to perfection tonight. They were Toronto’s best line by expected-goals percentage, and they did that by keeping Källgren bored. Kämpf’s back-check broke up a potential breakaway in the late first, and he out-muscled Sidney Crosby to clear the zone in the early third. Malgin set up Aston-Reese for a good rush opportunity halfway through the third, and both wingers were effective on the forecheck. Sheldon Keefe must have complete faith in this line when protecting a lead late, as opponents have very little time and space.

B

Erik Källgren

Källgren wasn’t overly busy early on, as he faced just five shots in the opening twenty minutes. He saved all fifteen shots he faced through two periods, though he was bailed out by an early whistle eight minutes into the second. A fairly routine shot from Jake Guentzel leaked through him, and Rickard Rakell was left with what should have been a tap-in goal. The Leafs were dominating up to that point, and it would have been quite deflating if the Penguins had tied it up.

After stopping Pittsburgh’s first 22 shots, Rakell beat him with eight minutes remaining in the third. An innocent pass deflected right to Rakell in the slot, who capitalized before Källgren had time to react:

He basically saved everything he had a reasonable chance to save, and ended up with 25 stops. He made a nice stop on Teddy Blueger on a partial breakaway, and stoned Crosby when he tried to beat him short side. He was a little bit fortunate not to give up a terrible goal, so I knocked him down to a B grade as a result. Toronto will happily take this type of performance from their third-string goaltender.

Calle Järnkrok

Järnkrok picked up a secondary assist on Marner’s first-minute goal, and while he didn’t do all that much to deserve a point, he was rather noticeable defensively. He’s playing well as of late, and played a part in Toronto’s perfect penalty kill. His line did not give up a shot on goal against in the first, and he fired an awfully hard shot at the end of the second. His forechecking, willingness to drive to the net and two-way play make him look like a good fit on the second line.

Victor Mete

The Leafs have won his five-on-five minutes 7-3 this season, and his speed is extremely noticeable. While he was on for the only goal against, he didn’t really have anything to do with it. He took a holding penalty three minutes in, but it took away a good scoring opportunity, and his speed helped him to defend the rush in the first place. He was flying out there, and it’s nice to have someone with over 200 career NHL games available to call up when needed.

William Nylander

Nylander’s night didn’t get off to a great start, as he had a questionable turnover that led to a rush the other way. That also led to a Pittsburgh power play, but his team had no problem killing it off. Nylander wasn’t quite as noticeable as he usually is offensively, but he took full advantage when Matthews set him up for a chance in the slot halfway through the second. His 12th goal of the season gave the Leafs a 3-0 lead, and he picked up a secondary assist on Matthews’ third-period tally.

B-

John Tavares

Tavares failed to pick up a point, but did finish with three shots on goal. He was noticeable in the face-off circle, and the Penguins didn’t have many chances when he was on the ice. While you expect a little bit more out of him offensively, he played a role in Toronto’s strong shutdown defence. He continues to look awfully dangerous on the power play.

C

Mac Hollowell

Hollowell looked a little bit shaky early on, as he fanned on the puck at the offensive blue line, which gave Jeff Carter a rush opportunity the other way. He was a little bit over-aggressive on the penalty kill six minutes in, which led to another decent scoring chance for Pittsburgh. He finished with just 11:30 of ice time, and while he settled in after his first few shifts, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Leafs reunite Mete with his former world juniors partner in Conor Timmins next game. He was Toronto’s worst player by expected-goals percentage.

MIA

Alex Kerfoot and Pierre Engvall

Kerfoot finished with one shot on goal in 13:59, while Engvall had two in 14:45. Their line continues to look solid defensively, but they weren’t overly noticeable on either end.

Game Score

Final grade: A

No Rielly, no Brodie, no problem. The Leafs are rolling right now, and their defensive play is a major reason why. Even with call-ups like Mete and Hollowell on the back end, this team continues to play effective shutdown hockey. Toronto’s five-on-five scoring has been an issue for most of the season, but they found a way to beat DeSmith four times.

Marner was a superstar, and Matthews finally found a way to score with his wrist shot at even strength. The Giordano-Holl pair continues to step up in a major way, and Toronto’s bottom six continues to shut the door down defensively. The team’s record in November is awfully impressive given their injuries on defence and in net. You would expect Sheldon Keefe’s team to have a goal-prevention problem, but they’re excelling in that regard. What a great road win.

What’s next for the Leafs?

Heading to Detroit for the final game of a four-game road trip. They’ll take on the 11-5-4 Red Wings on Monday at 7 p.m. on Sportsnet.

(Top photo: Justin K. Aller / NHLI via Getty Images)