zach hyman scores on the shorthanded breakaway and the buds are up 1-0
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Post Game: Finally, A Leaf Scoring In His Hometown

Photo credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2017, 23:52 EST
Hope you all had a lovely holidays, because it’s time to get back to some puck, as the Leafs take on the… Arizona Coyotes. Oh boy, this is gonna be a boring one isn’t it?
Spoiler alert: it was.
1st Period
The Leafs came flying out of the gate, dominating the first half of the period. The first of the Leafs goals came about nine minutes in, as Zach Hyman got a breakaway shorthanded, and fired it by Scott Wedgewood to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead, with just the Leafs second shorthanded goal of the season.
How about that celly?
Two minutes later, Matthews and Nylander had a nice little give and go, and Matthews did his typical drag and shoot to wire it for his first goal in his hometown.
auston matthews scores in his first goal in his hometown😍
The goals continued 27 seconds later, as Mitch Marner contributed in on the fun with a goal of his own, giving the Buds a 3-0 lead.
mitch marner makes it 3-0 buds in the first period lmao
After that, the team went to sleep, and didn’t get a shot for the rest of the period. Oh, and the Coyotes scored a couple times, but that’s irrelevant. They almost tied it at 3-3, but Freddy bailed out the team with an incredible save.
2nd Period
The Leafs continued to not play well to start the 2nd period, but Arizona didn’t capitalize on any of their chances. Then the Leafs returned to their scoring ways later in the period, starting with Marleau tipping in a Marner pass on the power play to make it a 4-2 game.
daddy marleau from mitch marner on the powerplay and it's 4-2 leafs
Six minutes later, Nylander snagged the puck from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and made a slick move on the breakaway to build on the lead, and give the Buds a 5-2 lead.
william made it 5-2 with this gorgeous goal 😍
And 10 seconds later, Marner made another nice play to Patrick Marleau, who showed a bit of hands, and deked around Wedgewood for his second goal of the game.
marleau from marner for the second time tonight and it's 6-2 leafs!
The Yotes scored again later in the period to make it 6-3, but not much else for the remainder of the period.
3rd Period
You remember the third period? Me neither. The game was pretty much over, so neither team was really trying. Arizona scored again to make it 6-4, but that would be the only eventful moment of the period.
Sike, Connor Brown got an empty netter.
Bonnor Crown seals the deal with the EN. 7-4 Leafs
#GoodTweets
The Power Couple of 2018
Never, ever split up Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Just don’t do it.
Matt Martin seemed to be in no rush on the 3-2 goal for Arizona
Matt Martin back checking on the Perlini goal like
And some clever political humour from our boy Kappy
Surprised Max Domi went with Max instead of MAGA as his insta handle
Looking Ahead
Hope you didn’t get too comfy during the break, cuz the Leafs got even more hockey for you tomorrow, as they head out to Colorado to take on the Avs, before finishing off the year in Vegas.
Breaking News
- Maple Leafs sign William Villeneuve to 2-year extension
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- Craig Berube opens up on the Leafs, his firing & his future: Leafs Morning Take
- It’s not a rivalry if only one side cares about it
- Craig Berube felt Maple Leafs lost ’emotional leader’ when Mitch Marner left
