Auston Matthews, who has come under fire from his own fans for his occasional lack of leadership during a difficult season, led by example Thursday night with a hat trick in a dramatic game against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Toronto Maple Leafs captain had fun, and most importantly, he never gave up in this 6-5 win. He also completed his 14th career hat trick with the game-winning goal with 4:22 left in regulation.
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Matthews got a nice treat from this episode. In the right place and at the right time, the American took advantage of goalkeeper Eric Comrie's stupid turn, intercepted the puck and scored.
The Jets can blame themselves as they led 4-1 early in the second period. Mark Scheifele kept the visitors afloat with a brace that took him to 20 goals.
In the end, the work of the goalkeepers played a decisive role. The Leafs started the game with Joseph Wall, but he was sent to the shower after allowing four goals on 17 shots. Dennis Hildeby replaced him and played much more convincingly, making 22 saves.
Toronto are unbeaten in regulation time in their last five matches.
Crosby's Real Game
In Pittsburgh, Christopher Letang played the hero from his film “1200 Years.”e career, scoring an overtime goal in the Penguins' 4–3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Sidney Crosby was a part of Quebec's success, also scoring two straight goals in the first period. The Nova Scotian now has 43 points in 39 games.
Erik Karlsson helped Blake Lizotte reach 14 years of age.e The National League's all-time defenseman will score 900 points.
The Wings have struck many times, but never as creatively as Andrew Copp. The forward took advantage of a strange rebound in front of the Penguins cage and scored a very easy goal.
Also in Los Angeles, Nikita Kucherov added three points, including a goal, as the Tampa Bay Lightning notched their sixth straight triumph with a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The winners remain in second place in the Atlantic Section, one point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens.
