It’s the middle of summer, but it’s not too late to reflect upon the best goals of the 2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs season. Although the playoffs ended in profound disappointment, by most objective measures, it was still a strong season from the Leafs, full of highlights and cool moments along the way, so we’re going through the best goals of the Leafs’ season. The series is unranked, ranking highlights tends to be a subjective exercise in any event. We’re starting off by taking a look at Philippe Myers’ wondergoal against the Detroit Red Wings.
Let’s set the scene: there was nothing to play for other than pride for either party during the final game of the regular season, as the Leafs already clinched the Atlantic Division, while the Red Wings were missing the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube did his best to ensure that his star players would receive limited minutes, while providing an extended look for several other players that played sparingly. Myers was often the odd man out, after winning a roster spot in training camp, and he stepped up with an absurdly creative goal that was atypical for him.
Toronto trailed 3-1 in the third period, in what was an otherwise nondescript contest. During a sustained offensive zone sequence, Steven Lorentz fired a pass over to Myers, where it was expected that he’d launch a shot on goal or tee up a shot for the open winger. Myers broke contain, waltzed around Tyler Motte, walked Austin Watson, then remained patient and beat Cam Talbot five-hole. It was an outstanding goal and perhaps words aren’t doing it justice, so here’s the play:
“I don’t even know what happened there. A little shake and bake, and that’s it,” Myers said post-game. “It feels really good to see that one go in, help the confidence a little bit going into the playoffs.”
“Really nice, really nice,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said of Myers’ goal. “He kept saying once a year he’d pull something like that out, so he waited until game 82, but it was a really nice.”
Berube also told reporters that it might be the goal of the year, and we’re not going to disagree.
Myers did not participate during the playoffs as a healthy scratch, looking onwards as the Maple Leafs were eventually ousted by the Florida Panthers in seven games during the second round. He earned a two-year extension in January which re-ignited some competition between the Maple Leafs’ bottom-six defencemen. And while Myers showed some consistency in the latter half, Berube ultimately felt more comfortable with his six-man unit locked in.
This was Myers’ final game of the 2024-25 campaign and he ended it with one of the coolest moments of the Leafs’ season. It’s an impression that ought to give him some confidence entering training camp, where he’ll have to continue to fight for his spot in the lineup.
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