The Maple Leafs picked up a big win against the Blues last night. Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman scored twice each and Pontus Aberg made his debut with the Leafs in a 5-2 victory.

Here’s our recap of the game.

Recap: Leafs special teams get a decisive win over the Blues

The Leafs now head out on a road trip through Western Canada. The first game is Tuesday night in Vancouver against the Canucks starting at 10:00 p.m. ET. They might have some backup return to the lineup before it’s over.

Meanwhile the Marlies are playing a weekend series against the San Antonio Rampage, the Blues AHL affiliates, and they won the first game 3-2. The game winning goal was scored by Teemu Kivihalme from the spot where Leafs defence are always shooting from and missing the net.

The Marlies play again today at 4:00 p.m.

Our smol boys in Peterbrough are pretty tough.

ICYMI
Here’s what we wrote about yesterday.

Can the Leafs win the line brawl for playoff spots in the Atlantic? - Katya
The Bruins can’t hold down all three spots, so two teams will win out in the end.

Who is Pontus Aberg? - Hardev
Get to know the clever Swedish winger who will be skating with Matthews and Nylander tonight.

Other News

Better acting here than in the prequels.

One Good Thing: Goodrow - Fear The Fin
Barclay Goodrow has always been an excellent defensive player, but this season he has become a more well-rounded player.

Micro Analysis: Suzuki’s intuitive defensive abilities - Eyes On The Prize
Rookie Nick Suzuki is looking like a seasoned veteran in his own zone.

NHLPA covered up theft of union funds, lawsuit alleges - TSN
"The allegations are included in an $8.7-million wrongful dismissal case filed Nov. 3 by Allan Etherington, a 49-year-old former technical support analyst who worked for the NHLPA from September 10, 2008 until Feb. 13, 2019. Etherington also accuses the union of income tax and insurance fraud."

Backreaction: Dark energy might not exist after all - Sabine Hossenfelder
[Species: I think it does exist, but Auston Matthews has absorbed all of it. The danger now is that one of his shots will release all that energy which will form a sigularity that will devour all of existence. Hopefully, the Leafs can win a Cup first.]

From The Branches