TORONTO — In an exciting match on Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs triumphed over the Boston Bruins with a score of 6-4. Matthew Knies stood out with a stellar performance, contributing three goals and two assists. Mitch Marner also made an impact, netting one goal and assisting on four others. Auston Matthews returned from a six-game absence due to an undisclosed upper-body injury, scoring once and providing two assists, while Jake McCabe added a goal and an assist for Toronto. The team is riding high with three consecutive victories and four wins across their last five games. Goaltender Joseph Woll recorded 26 saves, marking his fourth consecutive win as a starter.

The Bruins, unfortunately, faced more challenges, suffering their third straight defeat and fourth loss in their last five outings. David Pastrnak shone for Boston with two goals of his own, while Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic each contributed to the scoreline. Jeremy Swayman stepped up in the net, making 23 saves throughout the game.

Knies played a pivotal role in the match, scoring his 14th goal of the season at 5:28 in the third period, which gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 advantage. He found the net following a clever pass from Matthews behind the goal. Later, Marner secured an empty-net goal, but Pastrnak countered with his second goal, narrowing the margin to 5-4 with under two minutes remaining. However, Matthews put the game to rest with an empty-net score of his own with just 31 seconds on the clock.

In terms of takeaways from the game, the Bruins have concluded a challenging three-game road trip without a victory, having faced setbacks against Washington and the New York Rangers previously. On the other hand, the combination of Knies, Matthews, and Marner delivered an impressive performance, collectively amassing 13 points during the match. Notably, Matthews has been sidelined for 15 games this season, including nine in November, yet Toronto has managed a record of 10 wins against five losses without him.

A significant moment in the game was McCabe’s goal at 3:29 of the first period, marking the first goal from a Maple Leafs defenseman since November 30, when Chris Tanev scored during a victory against Tampa Bay. Prior to this match, the Maple Leafs’ forwards had accounted for 50 goals over 16 games, showcasing the team’s offensive strength.

Another key statistic to highlight is that Toronto scored first in their fifth consecutive game, boasting an impressive record of 17-2-1 when they manage to take the lead early in the contest.

Looking ahead, the Bruins are set to host the New York Islanders on Sunday, while the Maple Leafs will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening game of a home-and-home series.