The Anaheim Ducks face the task of stopping sharp-shooting Auston Matthews when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night.
Matthews scored a natural hat trick in a span of 7:49 during the second period Thursday night in Toronto’s 4-3 home overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Matthews has a league-leading 45 goals this season and matched the franchise record with his fifth hat trick of the season.
The Ducks, meanwhile, had two goals from Mason McTavish in their 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators Thursday to go 1-1-0 halfway through a four-game road trip.
The Ducks will try to control Matthews, whose 72nd career multi-goal games passed Darryl Sittler’s 71 to set a team record.
Matthews has 25 goals in the team’s first 25 home games.
Matthews is on pace for 71 goals. No player has scored 70 in a season since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny each scored 76 in 1992-93.
“I think it’s just building that positive momentum going forward and having these last two weeks being for the most part here at home,” Matthews said.
“And then (having) a solid homestand and making sure we are taking care of business here on home ice before we get going on the (four-game) road trip.”
Matthews’ three goals erased a 1-0 deficit.
“I thought Auston was really the catalyst for us, not just because he shot the puck in the net, but just the way he competed, won loose pucks, I thought he was a beast for us in that second period,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Toronto reverted to bad habits in the third period, however, when the Flyers scored twice late to force overtime.
The Maple Leafs needed William Nylander’s 27th goal, in overtime, to win for the second game in a row. Mitchell Marner added three assists and Timothy Liljegren had two assists. Nylander also had an assist.
“We were in full control,” Keefe said. “And then we let our guard down. That allowed them to get the second goal. There was a penalty before that and a penalty after that, and that let them get the momentum going.
“But I loved how we kept our composure with what was remaining on the clock to make sure we got to overtime, got our point. And we were very composed in overtime and just controlled things.”
Cam Fowler and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and two assists for Anaheim on Thursday.
“I thought our guys did a really good job,” Fowler said. “Nobody was happy with, not just the result of (losing 5-0 to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday), but the way that game kind of went about, so we put in a lot of good work yesterday and came to the rink ready to play tonight and it showed. I’m so proud of our guys for responding that way.”
Ryan Strome and Troy Terry each had two assists for the Ducks. John Gibson made 15 saves before leaving with an upper-body injury after the second period. Lukas Dostal allowed one goal on 19 shots in relief.
“(McTavish) was really good,” Fowler said. “When he’s at his best, I think he’s involved physically like that. He’s really a prototypical power forward, so he was mixing it up all night and then got on the score sheet a couple of times.”
– Field Level Media
