Auston Matthews scored in his return to help the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.
“I felt fine out there,” said Matthews, who missed the previous 10 games after injuring his shoulder Feb. 22 against the New York Islanders. “I got engaged early, got the puck, able to make a couple of plays, and that kind of builds your confidence for the rest of the game. Obviously, [Zach Hyman] and [William Nylander] did what they do, and we were able to kind of get the puck and move around a little bit and get some good opportunities.”
The Maple Leafs (44-23-7), who went 5-3-2 without Matthews, are in third place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind the Boston Bruins for second.
“We haven’t secured our spot yet, but we feel like we’re going to get in [the Stanley Cup Playoffs],” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. “We think we’re a young team that’s getting better all the time.”
Flex. pic.twitter.com/5AgpwKTzYE
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 23, 2018
A celebration in three parts. #TORvsNSH | #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/Vsw28JthHU
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 23, 2018
Deft and deadly.#TORvsNSH | #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/cFUDh8U6hl
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 23, 2018