It was yet another week without Auston Matthews in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs as the captain continues to recover from the upper-body injury that has sidelined him for two weeks.
The Maple Leafs had a successful first week without the two-time 60-goal scorer, posting a record of 3-0-0 against the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens. The schedule did not get any easier last week with the up-and-coming Ottawa Senators, the surprising Washington Capitals and the ever-dangerous Edmonton Oilers on tap, but Toronto continued to win games without their captain, going 2-1-0, improving to 5-1-0 without Matthews this year, with an outsized effort from the team’s best players.
3rd star: John Tavares
Week 6 stats: 3 GP – 1 G – 2 A – 3 PTS
Season stats: 18 GP – 9 G – 8 A – 17 PTS
Mitch Marner isn’t the only big-name pending UFA on this team. John Tavares, currently playing out the last year of his seven-year, $77 million contract he signed in 2018, is having himself quite the year through the first 23 percent of the season.
The 34-year-old has occasionally taken heat over the years due to his production because of the price tag attached to him, but one thing is certain — Tavares is playing some of his best hockey right now and is on pace for his second 40-goal season with Toronto.
With Matthews out of the lineup, Tavares and Max Domi have been tasked with stepping up in his absence. In the first three games without Matthews, Tavares recorded three points — all goals — and continued that solid production into last week’s games, scoring again, while adding two assists to give him six points in his last six games.
Tavares recorded two points in Toronto’s thrilling 4-3 overtime win over Washington, headlined by his 77th game-winning goal and 18th career overtime-winner, putting an exclamation point on an excellent night.
JOHN TAVARES ENDS IT 🚨
THE LEAFS COMPLETE THE COMEBACK pic.twitter.com/S8RkD2DiVp
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 14, 2024
2nd star: Bobby McMann
Week 6 stats: 3 GP – 3 G – 0 A – 3 PTS
Season stats: 18 GP – 6 G – 1 A – 7 PTS
Following a healthy scratch on opening night against the Montreal Canadiens, Bobby McMann re-entered the lineup the next game and scored his first goal of the new season. He would then add two more goals two games later against the Los Angeles Kings, giving him three in three games to start his season.
McMann would soon enter a lengthy drought, recording just one point in his next 12 games, prior to last week’s surge. He would earn a bump in the lineup to the second line in Max Pacioretty’s absence, who suffered a lower-body injury in their game against the Canadiens, and McMann took advantage of it.
Although he was held scoreless in a 3-0 loss to the Senators, the 28-year-old found the back of the net against the Capitals and lit the lamp twice in their 4-3 overtime win against the Oilers on Saturday, giving him six goals on the year, nine goals shy of his total of 15 last season.
wins the race and beats Stuart pic.twitter.com/Y0TfAL66dH
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 17, 2024
1st star: Mitch Marner
Week 6 stats: 3 GP – 2 G – 2 A – 4 PTS
Season stats: 19 GP – 6 G – 18 A – 24 PTS
Without Matthews, the Maple Leafs needed Mitch Marner to play his best hockey, and he has done that. Marner has been on another level lately and has been one of the reasons the Leafs are 7-2-1 in their last ten games.
He owned an eight-game point streak, culminating 13 points, heading into last week’s slate of games, but the streak ended in Tuesday’s loss to the Senators. Marner and the Leafs rebounded in a big way 24 hours later, overcoming a 3-1 third-period deficit to win 4-3 in overtime over the Capitals.
Amid back-to-back 4-3 overtime wins last week, Marner’s fingerprints were all over Toronto’s 10th and 11th wins of the season. He recorded consecutive multi-point games, scoring a goal in each, including the overtime winner on Saturday night seconds after successfully breaking up a 2-on-1 that featured Leon Drasaitl and Connor McDavid.
Marner’s four points against the Capitals and Oilers have improved his season totals to 24 points — six goals and 18 assists — which is good enough for 10th in the league, tied with Leon Drasaitl and Jesper Bratt.
MITCH MARNER 🚨
GAME OVER! THE LEAFS WIN! pic.twitter.com/wAeaRmimXu
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 17, 2024
Who were your three stars from week six of the Maple Leafs’ season? Let us know below!
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)
