The Good<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I will go directly to 52 seconds of the third period for the best of the good.\u00a0After Evgeni Dadonov scored on a penalty shot at 11:05 to tie the game at three, Mitch Marner scored just 32 seconds later. That restored the Maple Leafs a 4-3 lead.\u00a0Just twenty seconds later, William Nylander would score what would prove to be the eventual game-winning goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Specialty Teams<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Toronto was perfect on the power play in the game going three for three. In addition, the penalty kill provided three big kills after giving up a goal on the Stars\u2019 first power play.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Mitch-Marner-Upper-Deck-Maple-Leafs-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOne penalty kill in particular, five minutes into the second period, seemed to give the Maple Leafs a lot of momentum. Toronto took a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty when Bobby McMann jumped onto the ice and played the puck while Noah Gregor was slow at getting off the ice.\u00a0On the ensuing Dallas power play, first Auston Matthews sent Marner in alone on a shorthanded breakaway. Then Marner returned the favor sending Matthews on alone. On the same penalty kill, Nylander came a stride away from having a breakaway of his own. However, he lost control of the puck in front of the Stars\u2019 goal. While they didn\u2019t score on those chances, that penalty kill seemed to give the Maple Leafs a spark that carried them throughout the rest of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tavares Is Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After going pointless for nine consecutive games, John Tavares has come to life.\u00a0He has three goals and six points in his last three games including a goal and two assists in this game. Tavares three points in the game move him into a tie for 24th place with Phil Kessel in All-Time Maple Leafs scoring.\u00a0Tavares has scored 394 points since joining the Maple Leafs in 2018.\u00a0He also moved past Pat Lafontaine into 94th place in All-Time NHL scoring with 1,015 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nylander Scoring In Bunches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nylander was Mr. Consistent for most of the season. He failed to score in just four of his first 37 games this season. However, after signing his multi-million, multi-year extension with the Maple Leafs, Nylander has failed to score in seven of his twelve games since. But, he also has four multi-point games in that span.\u00a0His two goals and an assist in this game give him eleven points in the twelve games he has played since signing the deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthews\u2019 Goal Watch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Matthews scored his 41st goal of the season on the power play when his attempted pass to Nylander in tight on Dallas goalie Scott Wedgewood deflected off of Stars\u2019 defenseman Esa Lindell\u2019s skate past Wedgewood into the Dallas net.\u00a0After being held off the scoresheet against the Islanders the previous game, Matthews is now on pace to score 69 goals this season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthews became the second Toronto player to reach the 60-point plateau this season. Nylander was the first.\u00a0Matthews has scored at least 60 points in his eight seasons in the league putting him in third place for the most 60-point seasons in Maple Leafs franchise history. He’s behind Darryl Sittler (9) and Mats Sundin (12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n