$65,408,000 Toronto Maple Leafs star lauds Auston Matthews’ assist in crucial goal against Panthers – Source: Imagn

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner praised captain Auston Matthews for his assist in the crucial 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

Marner scored a goal, thanks to a slick assist from Matthews, who chased down his own rebound and delivered a precise pass to Marner at the right face-off dot for a one-timer, giving Toronto a 2-1 lead in the third period.

Marner highlighted Auston Matthews’ s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁, explaining that he just tried to find an open spot, and, fortunately, Matthews spotted him, allowing him to quickly get the shot off.

“Yeah, it was great. I mean, obviously, what he does with his body, he can put himself in great spots to get second opportunities. For me, I just tried to find a quiet area, and lucky enough, he was able to find me. I was able to get it on and off,” Marner said.

The win made the Toronto Maple Leafs the first team from the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division to book their berth in playoffs. The club leads the Tampa Bay Lightning by three points for first place. The Leafs are ahead of the third-placed Florida Panthers by four points.

Meanwhile, Mitch Marner, who’s in the final year of a six-year $65.4 million contract, took his season tally to 24 goals and 93 points in 74 games this season.

HC Craig Berube shares thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs clinching playoffs berth

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube shared his thoughts after the team qualified for playoffs. He acknowledged the challenge of making the playoffs, noting how tough the league is.

“It is great. I have talked before about it. Being able to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs is a real thrill and opportunity for me. As I have said a number of times, I love working with the players we have here, the staff, and the organization in general,” Berube said post-game.

This is Craig Berube’s first tenure with the Maple Leafs. He helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019. Leafs fans are buzzing with anticipation under Berube’s leadership, hoping for a deep playoff run this time.

After back-to-back first-round setbacks, the Leafs made it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round in 2023.