Entering last night’s game, there was a lot on the line. The Maple Leafs could win the Atlantic Division, which would only be their seventh division title in franchise history. By clinching the division, the Maple Leafs would face-off against the Ottawa Senators, thought to be an easier first-round opponent.
Several key Maple Leafs were chasing milestones this night, notably Mitch Marner for 100 points and Auston Matthews for 400 career goals. Trying to spoil the party were the Buffalo Sabres, who have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Let’s take a look at the key storylines of last night’s game.
Mitch Marner joins the 100-point club
Mitch Marner has been on absolute fire since the 4 Nations: Face-Off tournament. Marner has come close to 100 points, with the first time reaching 94 points in his third year, 97 in the 2021–22 season, only to follow that up with 99 in the following season.
His teammates were desperately trying to set him up all night, which was detrimental to their play at times. This is very reminiscent of last season when the Leafs desperately tried to get Matthews to 70 goals. Unfortunately, Matthews did not score in his three final games, and looked like he could have used time off before the playoffs.
But, as they say, “This year is different.” And finally, late in the third period, Marner has entered the 100-point club, from none other than the captain, Auston Matthews:
Perhaps this is a testament to how little this franchise has accomplished in the modern era, but Marner becomes only the fourth player in franchise history to reach 100 points in a season.
Auston Matthews reaches 400 career goals
The other player trying to reach a new milestone is Auston Matthews. After the 69-goal season last year, Matthews is having a down year. This is due to missing time with injuries, having flown to Germany to seek treatment at the beginning of the year for a nagging injury. Furthermore, in the games that he did play earlier in the year, Matthews did not look like himself.
However, ramping up towards the playoffs, Matthews has looked vintage. Tonight, he set up teammate Mitch Marner for his 100th point. Then, moments later, he scored his 400th career goal:
Matthews is the 6th fastest player to score 400 goals in NHL history. And look at the company he is with:
Table 1. Table showing the six players to score 400 goals.
| Player | # of games to reach 400 goals |
|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 436 |
| Mike Bossy | 506 |
| Mario Lemieux | 508 |
| Brett Hull | 520 |
| Jari Kurri | 608 |
| Auston Matthews | 628 |
Despite “only” scoring 32 goals this season, Matthews is also one assist away from tying his career high of 46. It is uncertain if he will play in the final game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, but regardless, Matthews is getting hot at the right moment.
Stolly the goalie
Up until the last five minutes of the third period, the Maple Leafs played a solid, low-event defensive game. However, Anthony Stolarz had to be sharp at key times, especially in the third period:
The Sabres could not get a puck past Stolarz, and Stolarz has his second straight shutout in a 4–0 win against the Sabres. Over the last eight games, Stolarz is 8–0–0, has three shutouts, and a SV% of .950. With last night’s performance, Stolarz is second in league SV% with .923% and fourth in league GAA with 2.21. I think it’s safe to say that Stolarz is starting Game 1 against the Senators.
Onto the next
The Maple Leafs have gotten their player milestones out of the way, and clinched the division while doing so. What’s nice about this is that the Maple Leafs did it on their own terms instead of relying on Tampa Bay to lose.
Their next game is against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. However, many Maple Leafs fans are looking ahead to the Battle of Ontario that is going to start on the weekend. The Senators may be an “easier” team on paper compared to the Florida teams, but the Senators have won the season series and look hungry.
Either way, playoff hockey is almost here!
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