The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on New Year’s Eve! As Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup for the Avalanche, it was still not enough to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs! This was the Leafs last game of 2022, and did they ever make it a good one! The blue and white now sit 23-8-6 through the team’s first 37 games!
In the opening frame of this one, the momentum was flying early! The return of Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon clearly provided a boost for the Avalanche. However, despite having a few close chances early it was the Maple Leafs who scored first! Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner skated into the Avalanche zone and beat Colorado goaltender Alex Georgiev blocker side. As Marner entered the zone, he caught Georgiev cheating on his post, and a perfect wrister opened the scoring! As the Leafs were flying with momentum, almost four minutes later, an Engvall shot on a loose puck in the slot put the Leafs up two! As the period went on, the Maple Leafs didn’t stop! A few good opportunities arose that weren’t converted. However, once JT Compher stepped on the ice, it all changed! The Avalanche forward fired a wrist shot from above the faceoff circle that just beat Leafs goaltender Matt Murray. After Compher’s goal, the period went fairly back and forth as the score finished 2-1 going into intermission.
In the second period of this highly talented battle, the Toronto Maple Leafs struck early! A power-play goal for Leafs forward Michael Bunting was scored thirty-four seconds into the period! After the Leafs restored their two goal advantage, the Avalanche started to claw back. A goal from Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews was scored! An unlucky play that went off the skate of Auston Matthews made it 3-2 Toronto midway through! With five minutes remaining in the second, a William Nylander pass to Auston Matthews was scored! Matthews had the puck in a prime goal scoring opportunity as he waited for Georgiev to overcommit before ripping it home! 24 seconds after Auston Matthews made it 4-2, Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie scored his 2nd goal of the year! The 32-year-old defenseman ripped a shot from the point that made it right through Georgiev to make it 5-2! The Maple Leafs went into the intermission up three goals and leading the shot totals 25-21.
In the final frame of this one, it was surely a lot quieter. Both sides went back and forth in a pretty entertaining final twenty minutes. The Avalanche, who were coming off a defeat to the Los Angeles Kings, were hungry to try and get the game within reach! However, the strong play of the Maple Leafs tonight kept them off the board! The Maple Leafs scored the only goal of the period to make it 6-2 as Michael Bunting netted the empty-netter! The Toronto Maple Leafs will be back in action Tuesday for a date with the Vegas Golden Knights at Scotiabank Arena!
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