Fraser Minten scored the game-winning goal – his first in the National Hockey League – as the Leafs won 3-0. The Leafs young centre prospect looked right at home throughout the night, playing 15 minutes, including two minutes on the power play and getting a shift on the penalty kill.
Greb (Nikita Grebenkin) has immediately become a fan favourite with his hustle throughout his NHL debut, punctuated with this postgame interview 'backcheck, forecheck, paycheque." We saw a lot from Greb in the game, including a diving poke check to stop a 2-on-1, some big hits (one probably over the line), and nearly got his first point on a clever pass.
All things must be ruined in one way or another, and that came with Matthew Knies getting headshotted by Zach Whitecloud, forcing the Leafs forward to leave the game and not return. Whitecloud was given a penalty, but the Leafs were put on the penalty kill after the hit, which caused a firestorm on the ice as the Leafs got retribution and the two sides escalated their physicality. Safe to say the game got out of the hands of the refs because they failed to manage the game's emotions. In the skirmishes that followed Whitecloud hitting Knies and Benoit getting in Whitecloud's face, Tavares scrapped with Hertl and OEL tussled with Howden.
And Mints got the belt from Mo! I shall not say more.
This rollercoaster of a game was also a much-needed Pride Night at the SBA.
The Grey Cup Champion Argonauts brought their trophy to the Leafs game.
Add two more points for Marner (primary assists on the Nylander PPG and Holmberg ENG) and another win for the Leafs without Matthews. It's November, Auston can go take care of his ...hand? upper body? lower body? something. Mitch has got us.
Meanwhile Nylander is up to 11th in franchise scoring.
Stamkos has been gone from the Lightning for only a couple months and he might already start losing all his records. The Lightning are unfair.
Welcome back to the trade target board. Yanni Gourde or Brandon Tanev, anyone?
Minten made a fool out of Button for keeping him off TSN's list of the Leafs top prospects. It was laughable even before the game.
Here are St. Louis's and (you guessed it) Chicago's Winter Classic jerseys. To me they look the same as all the other ones. Chicago probably have about two dozen "classic" jerseys since they started winter classics.
Oh! I almost forgot, the Leafs are now first in the Atlantic!