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  Graphic: Genevive Oliver There have been great players for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and then there has been Mario Lemieux. From the impossible reach of his stick to his effortless, balletic stride, 'Le Magnifique' wasn't just a force of nature—he was a work of art on ice. His time in Pittsburgh wasn't just about piling up goals and assists; it was an incredible journey of dizzying highs, a battle with a life-threatening illness, and then, a truly triumphant comeback that carved his place as an eternal Penguins legend. His story is one of unrivaled greatness on the ice and a fierce, unwavering loyalty to the city that loved him. The Arrival of Le Magnifique: The Savior of a City The hype around Mario Lemieux started almost before he even got here. In the mid-1980s, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a punchline—a franchise teetering on the brink of irrelevance. Their arena was a ghost town, their roster a collection of misfits. Then, on a fateful day in 1984, the draft lotte...
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Auston Matthews Scores Two Goals in 6-3 Win in Arizona, 2/21/24

 




*Sorry for the lack of photos! Hoping to get permission eventually.*


   Auston Matthews scored his 50th and 51st goals in a 6-3 win in his hometown against the Coyotes at the Mullett Arena on Wednesday, February 21st. Mitch Marner recorded three assists during an eight-game point streak with 17 points (two goals, 15 assists). The Toronto Maple Leafs won their fifth game straight.


Maple Leafs lineup against the Coyotes:

Knies - Matthews - Marner

Bertuzzi - Domi - Nylander

McMann - Tavares - Robertson

Holmberg - Kampf - Gregor


Brodie - Liljegren

Benoit - McCabe

Rifai - Lajoie


Samsonov

Jones


Coyotes lineup against the Maple Leafs:

Keller - Cooley - Guenther

Maccelli - Bjudstad - Crouse

Kerfoot - Hayton - Schmaltz

Carcone - McBain - Zucker


Moser - Dumba

Durzi - Kesselring

Valimaki - Brown


Vejmelka


   Bobby McMann struck first early into the first period to get Toronto a 1-0 lead. He tipped in a shot coming from the right point by T.J. Brodie. This was McMann's fourth goal in a three-game point and goal streak (four goals, two assists). Scoring his league-leading 50th goal of the season - Auston Matthews pushed it to 2-0 at the right face-off circle with a wrist shot. Later into the period, William Nylander extended the lead to 3-0 on the power play.


   Scoring the first goal for Arizona at 15:32 of the second period - Matias Maccelli scored his ninth goal of the season. Not much longer after Maccelli's goal, Barrett Hayton cut it to 3-2 at 14:22. Auston Matthews scored his second of the game and his 51st of the season later into the middle frame. The puck had deflected into the net off his right shoulder at the right post... getting the 350th goal of his NHL career. Cutting it on the power play to 4-3, Dylan Guenther scored his sixth of the season with just seven seconds left.


   William Nylander got his second goal of the night early into the final frame. He scored on a breakaway, getting his eighth goal in seven games. At 11:36 of the third, John Tavares scored his 16th goal of the season for the 6-3 final.




Mitch Marner on how the team directed it back home in the third and Auston Matthews' 50th goal: "We didn't want to take any penalties, give them momentum. We did a great job of that in the third. How we got back to our game - We just got through the neutral zone, good in our own zone, getting on the floor check. We were recovering pucks back and hanging on to it down low," - "It was great. I think you saw it, I was trying to give him the whole first three shifts, four shifts we had together. I'll probably get yelled at for not shooting a couple of those... He's obviously a special player. We're lucky to have him. He's in his hometown, a lot of people here, a lot of family and loved ones... To get it here, it's pretty special."


Auston Matthews on the win, what it means to him, and the chemistry he and Mitch Marner have: "It's great. It's a small step in a long season but playing at home and playing against a team that's really had our number over the last couple of seasons, it was a good win. There was good effort throughout the lineup, and everybody contributed... just really solid efforts all around," - "I think it really starts with our relationship off the ice and just carries out onto the ice... For each other, we just try to push ourselves and each other to be the best that we can be individually and be the best teammates we can be, do whatever it takes to help the team win and get momentum... step by step, game by game, get better and better. I think that's the role we've kind of taken on as we've gone through this before... I think we expect a lot out of each other and try to push each other as much as possible."




Notes:

- Auston Matthews is the fastest U.S.-born player to reach 50 goals in a season.

  Matthews (2021-22) and Kevin Stevens (1992-93, Pittsburgh Penguins) had previously held the record for a U.S.-born player with 50 goals in 62 games. Auston Matthews has 51 goals in 54 games, nine in the past four.

- William Nylander scored twice... Both Bobby McMann and John Tavares had a goal and an assist. T.J. Brodie recorded two assists.

- Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves for Toronto... his eighth win in nine games.

- Toronto Maple Leafs: 200 consecutive games without getting shutout (11th time in history)... This is the first time in over 30 years for a team to achieve this.

- Barrett Hayton played his 200th career game and Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves for Arizona in his eighth straight loss.




Auston Matthews got his 50th goal AND got his 51st?!




Postgame: William Nylander

Postgame: Timothy Liljegren

Postgame: Sheldon Keefe




 

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