The date was October 14, 2006. The Leafs were playing against the Flames in a packed Air Canada Centre. I had gotten tickets to the game as a gift for my 14th birthday, so I was sitting in the stands beside my dad watching my two favourite teams battle it out. The Leafs and Flames were deadlocked at 4 goals apiece after 3 periods and headed to overtime. Mats Sundin had scored 2 goals for the Leafs and rookie defenseman Mark Giordano had potted the first 2 goals of his career for the Flames. With 8 seconds left in the third period, Darcy Tucker took a hooking penalty and the Leafs would start the overtime period shorthanded.
45 seconds into overtime, Sundin muscled Alex Tanguay off the puck and took it up ice. The Leafs captain wound up as he crossed the Flames blue line and blasted a slapshot over Miikka Kiprusoff's shoulder. Sundin's 500th goal was scored short handed, in overtime, for a hat trick. I still remember losing my mind beside my dad when the puck went in. It's a memory that I'll never forget.
Fast forward 16 years, Auston Matthews blasts a one timer past Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood for his 55th goal of the season, setting a new Leafs record for goals scored in a single season. The primary assist on the goal went to none other than Mark Giordano. Over 1000 games after being on the ice when Sundin scored number 500, Mark Giordano was once again part of Leafs history.
Call it fate, call it coincidence, call it a sign from above, call it whatever you want. Mark Giordano seems to have a knack for being in the building when Leafs players make history. If you're a believer in such things, maybe Gio being the one to pass Matthews the puck on his record breaking goal is a sign of things to come. As Leafs fans, we look for any indication that this might finally be the season where they do the thing. Who knows? Maybe Thursday night's goal was that sign. At the very least, it's an interesting connection between generations nonetheless.
