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3:31 AM · Dec 5, 2024

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Here are five takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 victory over the Predators:

• Mitch Marner was named to Team Canada earlier in the evening, although he told reporters post-game that he knew in advance, receiving a phone call from Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving. Marner was the clear driver of his line with John Tavares and Pontus Holmberg during the first two periods. Holmberg flubbed two golden chances set up by Marner and evidently Berube had enough, reuniting Marner with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, a proven combination that played the majority of the 2023-24 campaign together. It created instant magic. Marner was transcendent in the third period, registering three assists, including a bullet to Matthews on the first goal. He slid into to pick off Jonathan Marchessault later in the period, creating a great chance off the rush for Matthews, and he’s currently fifth in NHL scoring with 36 points. Not a bad night at the office for Marner, who has been one of the NHL’s best all-around players this season.
• Auston Matthews was terrific throughout the game, and this was his best performance since his return from an upper-body injury that kept him out through the majority of November. Matthews registered two goals in two minutes, while adding seven shots and three blocked shots on the evening overall. There’s this misnomer that Matthews was off to a cold start, perhaps relative to his standards prior to the injury and I simply don’t buy that — he led the NHL in individual expected goals at 5-on-5 prior to his injury and was due for positive shooting regression, while playing excellent individual and team defence. There’s little wonder why most of his teammates are perplexed when asked about Matthews’ returning to form. It’s unclear whether Berube will keep the Knies-Matthews-Marner line intact, but it’s a certainly another option he has in his pocket when needed.
• Fraser Minten was phenomenal, and we’ll have a larger piece on him this week. Minten drove his line with Nick Robertson and Steven Lorentz, where they outshot the Predators 5-0 at 5-on-5, and were Toronto’s best line through the opening 40 minutes. Minten continued to display outstanding positional sense — he wasn’t out of place throughout the game, he attacked aggressively within the flow of the game and finished the game with five shots, seven hits. Berube switched up his lines and rewarded Minten, bumping him up to a line with William Nylander and John Tavares, where he played on the left wing and didn’t miss a beat. He’s an excellent substitute for Pontus Holmberg, who is clearly miscast in a top-six role. Minten wasn’t projected to be an offensive dynamo, but if he continues to play like he has during his time, he should be a permanent fixture on the roster. He’s outstanding defensively, he’s more potent offensively than Holmberg, David Kampf, Connor Dewar and several others, he’s rapidly improving, he’s intelligent beyond his years and there may be no point in returning him to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
• Joseph Woll has won six consecutive games and he overcame a bizarre opening goal, where the puck caromed off the end boards, over the goal and into his crease before Jonathan Marchessault tapped it in to open the scoring. It felt like a relatively low-event night for Woll, but he saved 1.2 goals above expected in all situations via Natural Stat Trick and was quietly terrific. Woll’s record during his past six games: 6-0, .935 save percentage, one shutout, with a 1.82 goals against average. Both of Toronto’s goalies have been outstanding and it continues to be the focal point of the season, along with Marner’s career-best campaign.

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