What Auston Matthews said after scoring biggest goal of his life for Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading to Game 7.
The Leafs rebounded from a dreadful Game 5 to beat the Florida Panthers 2-0 in Game 6 with their backs against the wall. Auston Matthews scored the game-winner to force a do-or-die contest on Sunday back in Toronto.
It was Matthews’ first career playoff goal beyond the second round, and it happened at the perfect time. He pulled through when his team needed him most and sent fans back home in Toronto into a frenzy.
AUSTON MATTHEWS WITH HIS FIRST OF THE SERIES AND IT COULDN'T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME đ¨ pic.twitter.com/3zmdBPQ3W9
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 17, 2025
“Really nice play by Mitchy to break up the play and find me underneath,” said Matthews to the TNT panel postgame. “I’ve been getting opportunities all series, and like I said this morning, I’m just going to keep shooting and keep believing that the next one is going in. That one definitely felt good.”
Matthews leads all players in the NHL Playoffs with 45 shots. However, he’s scored just three goals. He’s converting on just 6.7% of his shots, far below his usual 15.8% career average.
Matthews’ clutch goal stood as the game-winner because Joseph Woll pitched a shutout. It was a huge performance from the 26-year-old, who has been forced into action after Anthony Stolarz went down with an injury.
“He’s one of the most focused guys I’ve been around in my career,” said Matthews about Woll postgame. “He understands who he is and what makes him successful…he’s very professional every single day, just an extremely focused individual.”
Matthews not only scored the big goal but also helped the Leafs dominate possession in Game 6. When Matthews was on the ice at five-on-five on Friday, the Leafs had six scoring chances and the Panthers had just three.
“For me, Auston…plays 200 feet,” said Leafs head coach Craig Berube. “He touches all areas of the game, and he scored a big goal for us tonight.”
“It starts with his determination and leadership that way. It rubs off on the rest of our team when they see him going the way he was going tonight. I thought he was very determined. He competed extremely hard. He touched all areas of the game.”
The Leafs won’t be able to celebrate this win for long as they’re back in action on Sunday at 7 pm ET for Game 7. They’re expecting a battle like they haven’t seen yet in these playoffs.
“We’re going to war,” said Leafs veteran Max Pacioretty.
A loss could mean the end of an era for the Maple Leafs. The pressure has never been higher and they’ll be looking for the big names, like Matthews, to come through again.