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# Leafs win a see-saw battle with the Bruins
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/leafs-win-a-see-saw-battle-with-the-bruins/
- Published: 2025-01-05T02:50:18.000Z
- Updated: 2025-01-05T02:50:18.000Z
- Description: Matt Knies with a hat trick, Mitch Marner with a lot of insurance moves at the end. Auston Matthews just hit everyone.
- Author: Cathy Squires
- Tags: Game Coverage

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/34/01/3401a938-f468-4c02-a227-9bc4cc09bad4/content/images/2025/01/GgfPFe1XIAAoPum-1-.jpg)

### First Period

Joe Woll with a wild first save of the game.

> Woll stops the puck from crossing the line after the initial shot went off the bar [pic.twitter.com/kkTcaUiWXi](https://t.co/kkTcaUiWXi?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875698306514637051?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Great chance from Nick Robertson.

> McMann to Domi to Robertson [pic.twitter.com/LBBrIE4KGh](https://t.co/LBBrIE4KGh?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875698789937541326?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

After a barrage of Leafs offence, smart passing, quick action and net-front play Jake McCabe got the last word.

> open-lane for McCabe and he took it [pic.twitter.com/2HBR0GuMGz](https://t.co/2HBR0GuMGz?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875699845656436778?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Immediately after, a lot of people thought the Leafs had scored. The horn farted, but it was just a crossbar.

> the horn went off but Pacioretty hit the post   
>  
> sick feed from Nylander [pic.twitter.com/8XdJOdZIkO](https://t.co/8XdJOdZIkO?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875699473927827525?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

> lol [pic.twitter.com/OLdaqVj4Zh](https://t.co/OLdaqVj4Zh?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875700103656480837?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Naturally the Leafs took a penalty.

> Knies is called for holding [pic.twitter.com/kiMJI2cwsC](https://t.co/kiMJI2cwsC?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875703335648719110?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

The Bruins power play was just awful. Not what you'd expect from a team that usually do better. (They almost never score on the power play, though.)

> Tavares just missed it [pic.twitter.com/tjPjHZVsh2](https://t.co/tjPjHZVsh2?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875706008808648831?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

After one it was 1-0 Leafs.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/34/01/3401a938-f468-4c02-a227-9bc4cc09bad4/content/images/2025/01/image-1.png)

Leafs at .73 Expected Goals to Boston at .45 in all-situations. Moneypuck version tonight.

### Second Period

Knies opened the second period with an early goal.

> that was pretty [pic.twitter.com/9rnMmyft2j](https://t.co/9rnMmyft2j?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875712614346715623?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Morgan Geekie got it back 12 seconds later.

> Morgan Geekie gets it back for Boston [pic.twitter.com/Z5814YK7mK](https://t.co/Z5814YK7mK?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875713107810755044?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Knies was definitely more his usual self in this game.

> Knies broke his ankles so bad he slide out of frame [pic.twitter.com/YZ5NmwV4Xe](https://t.co/YZ5NmwV4Xe?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875715829314285999?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Bruins mixed their lines up at this point, a thing they've been doing trying to find someone who can score.

Jeremy Swayman dove out to the get the puck, missed, and there would have been a goal, but the whistle blew for a William Nylander penalty from before all the goalie bad decision making.

> Nylander is called for tripping [pic.twitter.com/j0pazmDd9v](https://t.co/j0pazmDd9v?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875718420760817785?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Boston took a penalty twenty seconds into their own power play.

And then both teams mostly forgot how to play hockey. Mitch Marner was standing still twice trying to figure out what his team was doing.

Nylander with a rush out the box, but he didn't have time to make it a good one. 

Boston tied it up after the Leafs iced the puck, lost the faceoff, two guys banged into each other, Max Domi had to abandon coverage on his man, and no one picked him up. 

> that was bad [pic.twitter.com/hUzihZdOZE](https://t.co/hUzihZdOZE?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875720397347549403?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Joe Woll was having trouble with his puck control, mostly not freezing the puck when he should.

After two, the score was 2-2, and each team had a sequence that should have the Benny Hill theme playing over it. 

Bruins were now ahead in xG 1.81 to 1.28 and their added scoring chances were mostly in very good places.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/34/01/3401a938-f468-4c02-a227-9bc4cc09bad4/content/images/2025/01/Capture.PNG)

### Third Period

A goal so pretty, you should watch it twice opened the third period.

> one end to the other [pic.twitter.com/gYFiv2pB1L](https://t.co/gYFiv2pB1L?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875729020618519012?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

A goal so ugly, you shouldn't watch it at all followed it up. John Tavares thinks things over too long, and boom it's in the wrong net.

> David Pastrnak ties it at 3 [pic.twitter.com/Qw8kjbe4bI](https://t.co/Qw8kjbe4bI?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875727533217611836?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

A goal so BANG, you have to watch it to see the hard man delivering the hit that got the puck loose. Oh, and it's a hat trick too.

> forecheck from Matthews   
>  
> finish from Knies [pic.twitter.com/AZXTHc7gxA](https://t.co/AZXTHc7gxA?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875728123637170565?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Leafs got a power play.

> oh ouch   
>  
> Geekie to the box for high-sticking [pic.twitter.com/mzhDE5aF0i](https://t.co/mzhDE5aF0i?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875729853703668090?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Leafs didn't do much with their power play, but had a few close to being good moments.

Bruins got Swayman out at just over two minutes, and the Leafs had the puck most of the time. Marner blew the zone, bank passed to himself and ENG was the result.

> Mitch Marner gets the empty-net goal 🚨 [pic.twitter.com/sZ9dlvDy4R](https://t.co/sZ9dlvDy4R?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875734334252183697?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Bruins coaches drew up a play for the next faceoff and they scored. 

> David Pastrnak gets another one   
>  
> it's 5-4 [pic.twitter.com/aAVCjEmeYn](https://t.co/aAVCjEmeYn?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875734993387057256?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Chaos ensued until Marner chose to shoot for the empty net and accept the icing as the likeliest outcome. 

Marner sprang Matthews and he scored an amazing ENG.

> Auston Matthews wins the race and secures an empty-netter 🚨 [pic.twitter.com/qWBif7bld3](https://t.co/qWBif7bld3?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [January 5, 2025](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1875735877319847967?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Final score was 6-4\. Leafs played an exciting, successful offensive style, but had an unexpectedly bad performance from the fourth line. Newly extended Phil Myers did a lot of good defensive things. Joe Woll looked really shakey at time, particularly in the chaotic finish.