The Toronto Maple Leafs finally snapped their six-game skid Saturday night, edging the Vancouver Canucks 3–2 in a shootout. It wasn’t a statement game so much as the stubborn kind of win you grind out when you’ve run out of runway for style points. Auston Matthews and William Nylander handled the scoring in the shootout, with Matthews getting a chance to end it earlier on a penalty shot in overtime. He couldn’t beat Nikita Tolopilo, who was brilliant all night, but it set the stage for the finish.
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Max Domi dragged the Maple Leafs back into it with a third-period goal that looked like a trick shot. It went off a shoulder, over a back, and somehow across the line. Nicolas Roy added the other, and Joseph Woll turned in a steady 28-save night. Vancouver got goals from Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander, but with only two wins in their last seventeen, they couldn’t push it across the finish line.
Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It wasn’t a win that changes the season, but it does settle the room a little. After two weeks of tension, searching, and second-guessing, the Maple Leafs could finally breathe a bit. That doesn’t mean this isn’t the time and space for a solid conversation about what should really happen next.
Item One: William Nylander Comes Back Looking Like… William Nylander
If you caught the Hockey Central panel’s intermission montage, you saw the story in real time. Nylander was gliding through the neutral zone, cutting with ease, showing that trademark looseness in his stride. For a player returning from a groin injury after seven games out, he looked almost unsettlingly sharp. Not tentative. Not easing in. Just completely back to playing like himself.
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He played over twenty minutes, fired five shots on the net, and scored the deciding marker in the shootout. But the real takeaway wasn’t the stat line; it was the feel. He threaded passes through seams that had no business existing. He changed direction just like he’d never been hurt. The defenders immediately respected his space, which says it all.
William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers during the first period of Game One of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
(Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
Before the injury, Nylander was on a tear: six goals and six assists in six games. Getting him back doesn’t just give the Maple Leafs another weapon; it restores their balance. When he’s moving like this, the whole forward group breathes a little easier.
Item Two: Max Domi Keeps Rolling at the Right Time
Domi’s third-period goal on Saturday was weird. It was a perfect example of the puck having a mind of its own. The goal also kept his streak going and kept Toronto alive. He’s up to seven points in five games, and if you stretch it out, he’s got points in seven of his last eight. For a player who runs hot and cold, this is one of those stretches where he’s burning pretty bright.
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What stands out is the confidence. He’s attacking seams and pushing the pace. Even better, you can see he’s reading off Matthews quickly and cleanly. People always say his game depends on where he plays in the lineup, and there’s truth in that. But this is a version of Domi who’s assertive without overdoing it, giving the Maple Leafs a much more dangerous look.
Toronto Maple Leafs Max Domi (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
There’s a little part of me that wonders if Domi might be on the edge of a Nazem Kadri–style second act. Kadri didn’t fully put his game together until he left Toronto at 29, and a few years later, he tore through the playoffs and helped the Colorado Avalanche win a Stanley Cup.
Domi’s 30 now, and when he plays next to Matthews, you can see flashes of a player who could still find another gear. I’m not saying it happens this season, but I haven’t closed the door on the idea that Domi could have a late-career surge and become an X-factor for this team down the road.
Hockey careers don’t always follow straight lines — and Domi’s might still have a twist left in it. Toronto’s biggest issue lately has been unpredictability. Domi, of all people, has become one of the more dependable pieces. Funny how hockey works.
Item Three: Nicholas Moldenhauer Finds His Touch at the Right Time
It flew a bit under the radar, but Maple Leafs prospect Nicholas Moldenhauer had a strong night for the University of Michigan, scoring twice in a 3–2 overtime win against Ohio State. Moldenhauer is a 21-year-old right-winger from Mississauga who was drafted 95th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2022. He plays a smart, detail-oriented game and has steady year-over-year growth.
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His game against Ohio State showed his ability to get inside, pressure the puck, and make plays that looked instinctive rather than hesitant. He’s now up to eight goals and 20 points in 26 games and is already on the verge of matching last season’s total. What you want from a third-year winger is a steady climb, and that’s exactly what he’s giving.
Nicholas Moldenhauer, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The Maple Leafs need more prospects who show that slow-build trajectory. Moldenhauer might never become a headline guy, but given the Maple Leafs’ current trajectory, he might be a player who’ll become useful sooner than people expect.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The reaction to the Maple Leafs’ losing streak was predictable. There was panic from some corners, resignation from others, and a whole lot of noise in between. But not everyone thinks Toronto is spiralling. People remember that stretch earlier in the season when everything clicked, and the ceiling looked surprisingly high. The situation isn’t hopeless.
Maple Leafs fans don’t need a Stanley Cup tomorrow; they’re used to that not happening. But from a leadership perspective, they need a transparent plan they can actually understand. Something with edges, not catchphrases like “DNA.” From what I see here, the harder question is whether the current leadership can deliver it. A referendum on jobs doesn’t automatically mean people should go, but it doesn’t guarantee anyone stays, either.
