{"id":533162,"date":"2026-03-13T06:53:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T06:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/533162\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T06:53:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T06:53:08","slug":"maple-leafs-spirited-6-4-victory-overshadowed-by-matthews-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/533162\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Leafs\u2019 spirited 6-4 victory overshadowed by Matthews\u2019 injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

Instant Reaction: Maple Leafs\u2019 spirited 6-4 victory overshadowed by Matthews\u2019 injury<\/p>\n

Toronto defeated a very solid Anaheim Ducks team 6-4 on Thursday, to end its eight-game losing streak. It came at a serious cost, however.<\/p>\n

Shortly after Auston Matthews snapped out of his 12-game goalless drought, Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas delivered a dirty knee-on-knee hit.\u00a0Gudas was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct in the second period, after he laid a vicious knee to Matthews\u2019 left leg<\/a>. None of Matthews\u2019 teammates rushed to his defence, making matters worse. When you\u2019re this low in the standings and the season is approaching rock bottom, at least stick up for each other, and show some camaraderie. It was a tough scene all around.<\/p>\n

Seeing the Leafs\u2019 captain in so much pain with absolutely no immediate pushback was hard to watch, but you have to give the Leafs credit for their passionate third period. They showed a ton of grit, started throwing the body around, and it led to finding the back of the net. While they didn\u2019t react in the moment once their captain went down, the Leafs showed some guts in the third, and hopefully that can carry on throughout the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

Michael Pezzetta dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff<\/a> in his Maple Leafs debut<\/a>. While it didn\u2019t spark the Leafs initially, as they gave up a two-on-one on the very next shift, it was a great moment for the Toronto native in front of family and friends. Considering how frustrating this season has been, it nice to cling onto feel-good moments down the stretch. Pezzetta brought his lunch-box mentality to the Leafs\u2019 fourth line, banging and crashing throughout his debut. Don\u2019t be surprised to see Craig Berube get Pezzetta back into the lineup this weekend.<\/p>\n

Bo Groulx scored his first as a Maple Leaf in the third, to stretch the lead to 5-3, thanks to an Erik Karlsson-type sauce pass from Brandon Carlo. After Nick Robertson was laid out by Ducks defenceman Jackson Lacombe, Easton Cowan dropped the gloves immediately and jumped Lacombe. Again, the Matthews incident was brutal in every aspect, but it was great to see some serious pushback to finish the game. Matthew Knies finished the night with a goal, and three assists.<\/p>\n

Toronto finally found the win column on home ice, securing two points at Scotiabank Arena for the first time since January 10. Regardless of the newfound positive vibes heading into a busy weekend, Matthews\u2019 left leg is the only thing Leafs Nation should be concerned about right now.<\/p>\n

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