First Maple Leafs Championship Belt Awarded by Auston Matthews and the Recipient Was Very Deserving
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro Imagn Images
Leafs Captain Auston Matthews handed out the first Player of the Game Championship belt on Wednesday night to a very deserving recipient after a dramatic win.
While many questioned the lineup for Wednesday night's home opener after Easton Cowan was revealed as a healthy scratch, the Leafs ultimately prevailed with a 5-2 victory to win their 11th consecutive home game over the Montreal Canadiens.
It wasn't pretty, and was tightly contested until midway through the third period when Morgan Rielly found the back of the net to give the Leafs the lead on a nice feed from Matthew Knies that gave the Leafs the late lead.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander added empty-netters and Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves to help the Buds open the season with a win.
Auston Matthews Hands Out First Player of the Game Belt
As the Leafs have done the past few seasons, following a win they award a player with their custom championship belt as recognition for helping the team win.
Following a post-game speech from head coach Craig Berube, Matthews jumped up and presented the belt to Morgan Rielly, and deservedly so.
Entering training camp and ultimately opening night, Rielly was determined to be better than last season -- revamping his off-season training and reinventing himself.
His play on Wednesday night was indicative of the off-season he had, tallying a goal and an assist with five shots on goal, one hit and two blocks.
The 13-year veteran and longest serving player on the Leafs received all sorts of praise from his teammates when speaking with reporters following the game.
"He did everything out there today for us,» Calle Järnkrok said.
Jarnkrok's statement was echoed by multiple Leafs, with Bobby McMann noting how bad Rielly wants to win.
"He's still hungry. He still wants it. And he wants to win so bad. And he wants the best for himself. And you can see that.»
If game 1 was a sign of things to come, Rielly could be set to have the best season of his career. He just needs to be consistent in his play, which is something he is very capable of.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
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