It got way too close at the end, but the Vancouver Canucks were able to squeak out a 2-1 home win against the red-hot Auston Matthews-led Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
The Canucks are now 8-1-0 against Leafs, dating back to 2006. The only loss came on Feb. 13, 2016 — a 5-2 win for Toronto. That year, the Canucks finished as the third-worst team in the NHL — though the Leafs finished last and won the Matthews sweepstakes.
Vancouver played a well-rounded game, limiting the high-flying Leafs offence to one goal on 36 shots.