LEAFS TAKEAWAYS: Matthews, Marner, Woll step up for shutout of Panthers
Just when the Maple Leafs' season was heading south to elimination, they've pointed it north for a Game 7.
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Their previously Not Ready For Prime Time Players — Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner — combined on the game-winning first goal at Sunrise, Fla., on Friday night, but it was a true group effort from Joseph Woll out, to fix the GPS in a 2-0 win, setting up a winner-take-all Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena.
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Early in the third period of 0-0 game, an interception by Marner at the Panthers blueline led to a quick pass to former Rocket Richard Trophy-winner Matthews for a five-hole dart on Sergei Bobrovsky, who had a .982 save percentage entering Friday.
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'He's a special player and your best players rise to the occasion,' Woll told the media in Sunrise, flipping the criticism that Matthews has endured at this time of year.
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Matthews was grateful to not only shift the conversation from his 13 games without a playoff goal against Florida, to everyone closing ranks around Woll and his injured first-line left winger Matthew Knies.
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'Gutsy win to keep our season alive, gutsy win all around,' he said. 'Break through late and play solid defence to close it out. It feels good to see that (goal), but the job's not done yet.'
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Max Pacioretty, who added an insurance goal, called Matthews' marker 'an unbelievable shot from an unbelievable player', noting no one on either side wanted to muff a third-period chance as the tension tightened collars.
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'That's why he's our captain,' Pacioretty said. '(Pressure) didn't bother them both tonight. They played a great game. Everyone will want to talk about their goals and points, but so many plays are in my mind of them winning puck battles and stick battles to seal the win.
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'They bring so much to a team and it showed tonight.'
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Marner, his much-forecast last game as a Leaf now given at least a 48-hour reprieve, has kept a Zen-like attitude since a terrible Game 5 that underlined his own playoff woes since 2018.
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'We knew we wouldn't get many looks, the thing we liked about it was just staying patient with our game,' Marner said. 'We got a couple of big (penalty) kills to start off.'
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