Maple Leafs' loss to Marner and Vegas could hurt in final tabulation

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Three third-period goals against and one in overtime turned what would’ve been a significant victory into more playoff drama

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Published Jan 16, 2026 • 3 minute read

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William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs scores a first-period goal against Adin Hill #33 of the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on January 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Ethan Miller /Getty Images North AmericaArticle content

This has been a road trip of mixed signals for the Maple Leafs.

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From the most impressive win of the year on Monday in Denver, to a flat start in Utah and then a late series of breakdowns in Vegas, the record is 1-1-1 heading to Winnipeg Saturday to meet the improving Jets.

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Our Takeaways on Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Golden Knights that shifts the pressure on Saturday.

POINT TAKEN (AWAY)

This was a result that were the Leafs to miss the playoffs or a favourable match-up by a point or two, it will haunt them.

On top of some unnecessary nail-biting finishes already this season that they did preserve, Toronto has lost three times when leading after 40 minutes, matched only by the Jets in the NHL. They were able to take a tying goal off the board on a third-period coach’s challenge, only to surrender it again with seven seconds remaining.

Craig Berube knew Matthew Knies’s busted stick during the 6-on-5 was just bad luck, but he was right to gripe at seeing a two-goal lead wither to begin the period when Easton Cowan took a bad stick minor and the team gave up some odd-man rushes.

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And for a rested team versus one that played and travelled the night before, Toronto looked winded in the closing stages. Last year it lost once all year when holding a third-period advantage, and this was “a clunker” Scott Laughton told media in Vegas.

“Played a good game, let it slip away,” captain Auston Matthews added. “You feel you did everything you could to win. We want to be a team that can close games out.”

Like they did in Denver, except when they fritter extra points, it makes their Eastern Conference playoff climb all that tougher. Columbus, Boston and the Islanders all won against Western Conference teams on Thursday, leaving the Leafs two out of a wildcard spot.

STARTING GUN SOUNDS

The Leafs backed up words with deeds to begin Thursday’s tilt, whether it was Berube saying it was time to move past Marner to Matthews getting a bit snippy on TSN when asked again about his one-time linemate.

Surely Marner questions had to be expected, but if the Leafs’ unstated aim was to show on this big stage they could produce without him, it was mission accomplished. They came out flying, Max Domi in Marner’s old spot, scrapping on the wall to hold a puck in for an eventual goal where Marner might have been bumped off it.

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The Leafs did lose leading points man William Nylander after a couple of shifts when he scored and had an assist. There was long-term impact when his speed was missing in overtime and Jack Eichel roared in to win it for the Knights.

Defence couldn’t keep pace with the Leafs’ two-goal leads and goaltender Joseph Woll left a couple of pucks around that the Knights converted.

ROUGH NIGHT ON BOMB DISPOSAL SQUAD

Toronto came into the game killing 20 of 21 power plays, the perfect measure of sticks, body positions in lanes, shot blocking and — of course — goaltending.

But they were facing a team whose six-game win streak has been peppered with power play success, moving up to the league’s top five at 27.3%. That’s where Marner hurt them with two nice passes to Pavel Dorofevev, with Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Tomas Hertl on the hunt as well.

“They’ve got options everywhere,” Laughton agreed. “And I can’t lose the draw clean like I did on their second one, get picked and it goes off the end wall into the net.”

Speaking of faceoffs, Matthews and Eichel, next month’s Team USA teammates, went head-to-head in a number of third-period draws and though Matthews was 17-of-23 on the night, Eichel got him on the draw prior to Hertl’s last gasp, 6-on-5 goal.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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Maple Leafs’ loss to Marner and Vegas could hurt in final tabulation

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