Matthews Nets 65th Goal as Toronto Maple Leafs Claim Overtime Win Over Pittsburgh Penguins, Thanks to McCabe's OT Brilliance

Monday, April 8th, 2024

Jake McCabe delivered the game-winning goal just 1 minute and 30 seconds into overtime, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to clinch a 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.

Auston Matthews notched up his season's 65th goal, continuing his dominance in the NHL scoring charts, with Matthew Knies also finding the net for Toronto. Goalie Ilya Samsonov contributed with 29 saves.

For Pittsburgh, goals came courtesy of Rickard Rakell and Drew O'Connor, contributing to the team's 6-0-3 run in their last nine games, an effort that has revitalized their hopes for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Penguins are currently just a point behind the New York Islanders for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, while being tied in points with Detroit for the second wild card.

In overtime, McCabe capitalized on an assist from Matthews, scoring his season's eighth goal.

Matthews' goal during a third-period power play put Toronto ahead with a 2-1 lead, as he edges closer to being the first player in over three decades to reach 70 goals, with a projection of 69 goals for the season.

O'Connor managed to equalize the game with only 6:42 left on the clock, but the Maple Leafs overcame Pittsburgh's power play challenges to secure the win.

The Penguins have made a notable leap into the playoff contention, overcoming a nine-point gap on March 27, aided by a remarkable points streak and slip-ups from competing teams.

Evgeni Malkin assisted Rakell's goal in the closing moments of the first period, while T.J. Brodie set up Knies for Toronto's second goal in the subsequent period.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins Game Stats

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