Anthony Mantha: Mantha with huge game in Centennial Classic

Matthews was able to slow a bouncing puck and deftly lift it into the back of the net.

The Leafs won their fifth straight game with a 5-4 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings in the Centennial Classic outdoors in Toronto on Sunday, getting the game-winning goal from rookie sensation Auston Matthews on a slick back-hand shot.

It underlined what Rielly has been taking in for a while.

Hyman had a great chance to clear the puck before the goal, but could not get it past his Wings’ opponent. “I think of him as family and he’s a great kid”. We still have a long way to go, but we want to continue on that momentum going forward.

Only two other players who made their National Hockey League debut since 1993 reached the 20-goal mark no more than 36 games into their career: Alex Ovechkin in his 33rd game, and Petr Prucha in his 36th game.

Matthews now leads the Leafs with 20 goals and 32 points.

Well. Since Matthews’ little goal-scoring drought, he has scored 14. “We’re just going to try and get better every day”.

Jared Coreau could theoretically get the start, given Petr Mrazek’s struggles.

“I’ve known Mitch since he was 12 years old”, he said.

What Leafs fans and players are well aware of since his sensational NHL debut is a story that has spread around the hockey world. There is lots to remember about tonight.

For Mathews, his two goal night puts him in front of the Winnipeg Jets’ Patrick Laine for the rookie scoring lead. Back on November 26, a tired Caps team finished off a set of back-to-back games and a set of three games in four nights – wrapped around the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday – with a lackluster performance in a 4-2 loss to the Leafs that wasn’t as close as that score would indicate. “Never fought him before”, Martin said.

“I played outdoors at MI so that was cool”, Hyman said. Martin marked it down to growing pains.

It was with good reason: players were placed beside those of similar styles of play or with some connecting factor.

The Red Wings, who trailed 4-1 in the third period, tied the score with 1.1 seconds left in regulation time when Anthony Mantha scored his second goal of the game. It helped that Wings defenceman Nick Jensen was unable to properly check Komarov, who re-directed a pass from Jake Gardiner behind Coreau … Backstrom needs two more assists to reach 500 in his career.

Turn the other way hockey pacifists, because one of the brightest young stars in the NHL has words that might make you cringe.

Team USA will play Russian Federation in the semi-final on Wednesday. “It was nice to come out on the right end of it”.

Friends, we need to talk about Auston Matthews.

It appears the Leafs are going to have to be pinpoint flawless if they go on the power play, as the Capitals have gone seven games in a row without allowing a power-play goal (28-for-28). A shot by Marner hit Coreau in the chest, and that was about it …

After two periods, Detroit had an 18-17 edge in shots on goal.