THUNDER BAY – STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF COVERAGE – It could have been a nightmare. Instead, Auston Matthews turned a frightening injury scare into a signature playoff moment that not only rescued his team from the brink of elimination, but also reignited hope across Leafs Nation.
Midway through the second period of Game 6 in Sunrise, Florida, Matthews’ playoff journey took a terrifying turn when a stick from Aleksander Barkov found its way under his face shield, striking his left eye. The Maple Leafs’ captain was left squinting, disoriented, and panicked, as trainers rushed him to the dressing room.
His vision blurred, his season on the line, and his critics circling—this could have been the unraveling moment of his career.
But it wasn’t.
Instead, Matthews returned, refocused, and delivered the biggest goal of his playoff career. With just over 13 minutes left in regulation, he unleashed a blistering shot through the legs of Sergei Bobrovsky, breaking a scoreless deadlock and delivering a moment of catharsis not just for himself, but for an entire team and city under pressure.
“It was scary,” Matthews admitted afterward, a dark welt forming under his eye as a memento. “But I got checked out, calmed down, and got back in the game. That one felt great.”
Leafs Rally Around Captain in Season-Saving Win
The 2-0 win over the Panthers ties the Eastern Conference Second Round at 3-3, setting up a Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night (7:30 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX).
Matthews’ goal ended a five-game playoff scoring drought, and silenced some of the boos and frustration that greeted him from home fans just two nights earlier in a devastating 6-1 loss at home.
Max Pacioretty, the 36-year-old veteran, sealed the win with an empty-netter—his eighth career goal in elimination games.
Mitch Marner, amidst speculation about his future with free agency looming July 1, shrugged off distractions to set up the winning goal with a heads-up play at the blue line.
Matthew Knies, visibly hobbled after a heavy first-period hit from Aaron Ekblad, gutted through the rest of the game, while Joseph Woll delivered a 22-save shutout that oozed calm and poise beyond his years.
Game 7 Beckons: History vs. Opportunity
Toronto’s postseason scars in Game 7s are well documented. The team has lost six straight in such do-or-die games, but head coach Craig Berube isn’t interested in ghosts of playoffs past.
“These games are fun,” Berube grinned. “It’s what you play for.”
Berube, after all, boasts a Game 7 pedigree of his own, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
Now, Leafs fans will hope Matthews and Marner continue to deliver when it matters most, as the Leafs look to write a new chapter in front of their home crowd.
Sunday night, the spotlight shifts back to Toronto, where all eyes—and the Leafs’ playoff dreams—will once again rest on Matthews and his teammates.
