Dialled-in defensively, Matthews provides Leafs with crossbar comedy

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs, who skated at Scotiabank arena on Saturday morning

Before the morning skate started, forward Mitch Marner glided over to the Toronto Maple Leafs home net and started throwing some mock punches at the post and crossbar that had knocked a tooth out of his linemate's mouth. 

Centre Auston Matthews hasn't done much wrong on the ice of late while building a nine game point streak, but late in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins he skated face first into the crossbar while chasing Penguins forward Sidney Crosby behind the Leafs net. Matthews left the ice immediately, but returned for one more shift in Toronto's 4-1 win. 

"From what I saw he was just trying to stay on Sid there and the post kind of got in the way," said defenceman Jake Muzzin before starting to laugh, "and bit him a little bit."

With Matthews having avoided any serious injury, the good-natured ribbing has commenced.

"There were some jokes about it," confirmed centre David Kampf with a grin.

Perhaps some ammunition for the opposition? 

"Maybe I'll give him a little chirp here or there if I get the opportunity," said St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak, who played with Matthews in Toronto from 2016-18. 

How's Matthews' smile? 

"It's looked better," Muzzin quipped. "But it happens. You know, you break teeth along the way. It's part of the game."

But it rarely happens like that. 

"You're dialled in there," Muzzin said. "I mean, like, you're in it. It's tough to explain. You're just trying to stay hard on those top guys."

"He's in pursuit," said coach Sheldon Keefe, "and making sure he's getting after him. His focus was not on the net in that case, but