In the NHL, there is no such thing as a friendly match. Philippe Myers learned just that as he clashed with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby during his latest outing alongside Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once the game ended, the defenseman set the record straight on the heated moment.
A third-period resurgence was enough for Matthews and the Maple Leafs to rally back from down 3-0 and secure a crucial 4-3 win in regulation over the Penguins. As Crosby and the Pens pushed for an equalizer late in the game, the NHL’s active points leader came across Myers, leading to a tense moment.
Scrambling for a loose puck in front of Anthony Stolarz’s net, Crosby poked around until he found an opening. But sensing an intruder in a dangerous area of the ice for Toronto, Myers turned and delivered a high cross-check to Crosby. However, once the New Brunswick–native defenseman realized he’d just hit Canadian hockey royalty, he had second thoughts.
“I was just stopping him from getting to our goalie and I caught him in the face. I saw it was Sid and I was like (expletive). I idolized him growing up and it’s an honor to be on the ice with him,” Myers admitted after the game, via TSN’s Mark Masters.
What they pay them for
It hasn’t always been pretty for the Maple Leafs in the 2025-26 NHL season—nor for their top line. Featuring the three biggest contracts on the roster, fans naturally expect plenty from the trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies.
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However, the group hasn’t had much luck to start the campaign. But with a statement performance against Crosby and the Penguins’ top unit, it looks like Toronto’s number one line has found its footing.
Matthews, Nylander, and Knies were involved in three of the Maple Leafs’ four goals against the Penguins. When the Buds needed their stars most, they rose to the occasion—combining for three tallies in under four minutes.
Riding the wave
Nylander earned first-star honors, finishing the night with two goals and an assist while extending his point streak to seven games, totaling 14 points over that span. Matthews added a goal and an assist, building a two-game point streak he’ll look to keep alive as the NHL season rolls on.
Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Montreal Canadiens
As for Knies—who signed a six-year, $46.5 million deal with Toronto this offseason—the young forward chipped in an assist to stretch his point streak to five games, amassing eight points in that stretch.
Although point streaks are always encouraging to see, all fans truly care about is winning. The Maple Leafs have now won two games in a row and have a prime opportunity to keep the fire burning. It may be early in the NHL season, but now is as good a time as any for Toronto to cement its spot atop the Atlantic Division standings. With divisional opponents facing major setbacks across the board, Toronto has its fair share of adversity brewing—but nothing Matthews and company don’t believe they can handle.
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