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Toronto Maple Leafs Win a Thrilling Centennial Classic Over Red Wings

By Chris Okrainetz

Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs players embrace forward Auston Matthews (34) after he scored the overtime winning goal in a 5-4 win over Detroit Red Wings in the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs players embrace forward Auston Matthews (34) after he scored the overtime winning goal in a 5-4 win over Detroit Red Wings in the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a Centennial Classic for the ages, the Toronto Maple Leafs (17-12-7) defeated the Detroit Red Wings (16-16-5), 5-4, in overtime at Exhibition Stadium.

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Thoughts and Observations

  • Aside from a slow first period, this outdoor game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings was truly a Centennial Classic.

    • There were so many great things in this game, but how phenomenal was that third period explosion where it felt like every Leafs rookie either scored a goal or notched a point? Here’s another look at those beautiful goals from

    Auston Matthews

    and

    Mitch Marner

    .

    It’s a scary thought, but does it not feel like Matthews keeps getting better each game. He’s on pace for over 40 goals, which would set a new Leafs rookie scoring record, and he now leads all rookies in scoring with 32 points.

    Mike Babcock said Matthews would be a top line centre by Christmas and it looks like he has zero hesitation to use him that way, as the Leafs 19-year-old

    savior

    , I mean, rookie, took on

    Henrik Zetterberg

    ‘s line for most of the night, and we all know how highly Babcock thinks of Zetterberg.

    More from Toronto Maple Leafs

  • Babcock also provided fans with new nicknames for Matthews linemates, Connor Brown and Zach Hyman, when he called them “animals.” Neither player ever stops working so I suppose it’s fitting. Either way, it’s a fun nickname for two of the Leafs hardest working players.

    • Speaking of Brown, I think fans are starting to see why the Leafs brass thought so highly of him. He always puts himself in great positioning and he has that gritty style of play you hate to play against, but love to play with. He’s complimented Matthews and Hyman very well too.

  • Another player who compliments his linemates well is William Nylander. After trudging on the fourth line for a bit, Nylander seems to have found a new home alongside Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov. Nylander’s crafty skillset not only adds another dimension to this defensive-minded line, it allows Kadri to become more of an offensive threat in transition since Nylander can make things happen out of nothing when he carries the puck.
    • Jake Gardiner

    was excellent in this game. He notched a pair of assists and threw a beauty pass off the boards to Matthews in OT. It was a fortunate result, but deserves an A+ for creativity. If you weren’t a fan of Gardiner’s play before, it might be time to change your tune because he’s on pace for a career year.

    Matt Martin

    and

    Steve Ott

    not only provided entertainment on the ice when they chucked knucks early in the third period, they also gave us a few comical gestures when they were trash talking each other in the penalty box.

  • Anthony Mantha was the Red Wings best offensive player throughout this game. Although his possession stats were average, it felt like every time the Wings had an offensive chance he was involved. The big power forward has all the tools and it looks like it’s only a matter of time until the highly touted prospect reaches his potential and becomes a bona fide offensive threat in the NHL.

    • The Maple Leafs five-game win-streak is the stat everyone is talking about, but the team also improved their record when trailing after two periods. Prior to this game the Leafs were 1-10-1 when trailing after two periods, so Sunday’s comeback win was a pleasant surprise.

    In case I haven’t raved about Matthews enough, here’s a few more tweets for good measure. I’d say Babs summed him up best, though.

    I guess Matthews has the next tab for his teammates?

    Stat of the Night

    8 goals in 23:17

    What. A. Finish.

    After only seeing one goal in the first 40 minutes of this game, there was an eruption of goals during the final 23 minutes. From the Leafs scoring four unanswered, to the Wings desperate empty net effort to score a pair of goals to tie the game, in buzzer-beater fashion no less, to Matthews back-hander in OT, the end of this game had it all.

    One player who stuck out all night was Komarov. Uncle Leo finished with 20:42 of ice time, which led all Toronto forwards, and he registered a goal, two shots and a game-high eight hits.

    What’s Next

    The Maple Leafs will have a day off before traveling to Capitol Hill to take on the Washington Capitals (21-9-5). Following their six game win streak at the beginning of December, the Capitals have struggled a bit recently, dropping four of their last six games (their game against Ottawa is being playing while writing this).

    Washington has been good at home this year, posting a 12-5-1 record. They were 29-8-4 at home last season and have traditionally been a tough team when playing in the Verizon Center. Needless to say, the Leafs will have their work cut out if they’re going to extend their winning streak to six games.

    Next: Toronto Maple Leafs Top 10 Moments in 2016

    What did you think of the Maple Leafs thrilling 5-4 OT victory over the Red Wings on Sunday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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