Also this pass was pretty:

Nylander then got his 700th point and the Leafs, somewhat shockingly, took the lead:

In style, of course.

Gavin McKenna soured the giddy heights of a top line with Matthews in Nylander as the Leafs were trying to hold that lead. Let's just ignore that the reason is at least in part keeping the defensive liabilities in the offensive zone, and focus on how good McKenna looked in that company. He was also very effective on PP1.

Oh, hey, this Nylander fellow again:

Now, did the Leafs deserve this win? Well they worked for it, kept their focus, did their best with what they had.

Did they always outshoot the other team, did they dominate from the first minute, were they always leading, constantly ahead and, sorry, gotta rest. This moving the goalposts is tough work. Okay, did they win every board battle, every shift, was the goalie perfect?

Well, Sergei Bobrovsky got the win, and he's not giving it back. That's how the game is played.

Leafs win 6-3 with one ENG to cap it off and piss off the fans. There was heaps of penalty controversy, enough to make conspiracy theories for weeks, but that bores me, so suffice it to say the reffing so far this season is a little odd. Not a crackdown so much as just unpredictable.

Bad news is Chris Tanev left in the first period, UBI, no further word yet.

The chart puts paid to the meme that the Leafs uniquely gave out NMCs like candy. The article is really interesting. Go read:

The numbers behind the NHL’s no-trade arms race
Why more players than ever are getting clauses, and why the trend won’t slow down anytime soon.
PuckPediaPuckPedia
Why I Believe The Golden Knights’ 9-Year Sellout Streak Ended - SinBin.vegas
Here’s my oversimplified thesis: It has never been harder to be a Golden Knights fan because the organization has shifted from building a community around hockey to operating like any other billion-dollar corporation, with profit as its defining priority.
SinBin.vegasKen Boehlke
Quick Shifts: Is the real Auston Matthews back?
For the first time in a while, Auston Matthews appears genuinely pumped and wholly engaged. Is the Maple Leafs captain back? Sportsnet’s Luke Fox explores that and more in the latest Quick Shifts.
Sportsnet.caLuke Fox

You know, I think I know which coach is getting fired first.

That is it for a Sunday, have a great day.

From The Branches