Toronto continues the new year strong with a matchup against their toughest rival, the Boston Bruins.

Leafs Captain Auston Matthews returned after a six-game absence due to an upper-body injury that had sidelined him since Dec. 20. Matthews has missed 15 of Toronto’s 40 games this season, with Toronto going 10-5-0 without him.

Early on the physicality was already on display. Boston and Toronto laying the body and getting into battles along the boards were only a handful of things getting the fans hyped up in Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.

Jake McCabe opened the scoring for the Leafs at 3:29 in the first period. It was the first goal from a Leafs defender since November 30th, coincidentally Matthews’ first return from his injury.

Matthew Knies scored his first of the game, doubling the Leafs lead, but not before Boston scored to cut it back down to a one-goal lead. The game went to the third tied 2-2 when Trent Frederic scored the equalizer for Boston.

The Leafs went up 3-2 at 3:43 of the third period when Knies got around a Boston defender in the slot and put a spinning backhand past Swayman’s left pad. David Pastrnak tied it just 34 seconds later when he took the puck from John Tavares just inside the blueline and put it past Joseph Woll.

Knies completed his first career hat trick less than two minutes later to put the Maple Leafs up 4-3 when he one-timed a pass in the slot from the returning Auston Matthews.

“It felt like a playoff game today with the physicality and the back and forth play,” Knies said. “Give them props, they played a heck of a game, they’re a good team over there. I think we capitalized on our chances today.”

Marner shot into an empty net with less than three minutes left to make it 5-3, but Boston quickly scored to make it a one-goal game again. Matthews then beat Pastrnak and dove to poke a loose puck into an empty net to secure the 6-4 win against the rival Bruins.

The second half of the back-to-back saw Toronto face off against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both teams scored within the first five minutes, with Forester scoring for the Flyers, and Matthew Knies keeping his hot streak alive, scoring off a rebound for the Maple Leafs.

With just over a minute to go in the first period, the Leafs had many chances on net. They had pucks go back and forth and one took a bounce, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson found the loose puck, and poked it towards the net and it went past the Flyers goaltender to put the Leafs up 2-1.

About halfway through the second period, Sean Couturier found Scott Laughton on a cross-crease pass for an easy tap-in past Dennis Hildeby to tie the game 2-2.

That would be the end of the game’s regulation scoring. Both teams had chances and both teams had opportunities on the man advantage, but neither team could break through. Toronto and Philadelphia headed into overtime.

In overtime, the Leafs took charge. Matthews and Marner were the first duo on the ice, and they were looking strong. Following 16 and 34, was Nylander and Knies. When neither team could score through the second shift, John Tavares and Max Domi followed. As they were changing, Matthews hopped on for Domi and was near the opposing blue line. John Tavares knocked the puck up for Matthews who entered the zone and fed it to the bursting Morgan Rielly, who shot it past the Flyers goaltender to seal the overtime win for the Maple Leafs.

After winning both games of the back-to-back, the Leafs take the 4 points and head out to Philadelphia for Tuesday’s backend of a home and home matchup against the Flyers.