Saturday night against the Nashville Predators had the feel of one of those games where you think you’re finally seeing the outlines of something better. Then, and not for the first time this season, if you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you watch it slip away in familiar fashion. The Maple Leafs didn’t fold early. They didn’t look overwhelmed.
In fact, for stretches, they looked like a team trying to play a more connected, more purposeful game. Yet, when the dust settled at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the scoreboard still told the same old story: a 5–3 loss, the fourth in five games, and more questions than answers.
Related: Dear Santa: Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2025-26 Christmas Wish List
So let’s look at three things that worked, three things that didn’t, and try to offer an honest reckoning with what it all means.
3 Maple Leafs Positives Against the Predators
Here are three positives for the Maple Leafs from the game against the Predators Saturday night.
Positive #1: The Maple Leafs Process Actually Looked Better
Auston Matthews wasn’t wrong when he talked about the “process.” The Maple Leafs had the puck more. They moved through the neutral zone with purpose instead of fear. Breakouts weren’t automatic fire drills, and there was a noticeable effort to support the puck rather than fling it up ice and hope.
(Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)
That might sound like faint praise, but context matters. For some reason, the Maple Leafs remain a team trying to absorb system tweaks on the fly, under pressure, with the noise getting louder by the day. The game wasn’t perfect, but it was more coherent. That’s a start.
Positive #2: Bobby McMann Keeps Knocking
Bobby McMann no longer plays like he’s worried about job security. As a result, he keeps forcing himself into the conversation. Saturday night, he put up a goal, added an assist, and had a direct hand in the opening goal. He helped to set a positive tone early. For a coach interested in driving the play north, he’s showing up by winning races and making simple plays at speed.
Related: Maple Leafs Need to Hire Bruce Boudreau (or Someone Like Him)
For a team searching for identity beyond its stars, McMann continues to play honest, effective hockey. He’s not the kind of guy you might build a team around. That said, you need players like him on the roster because you can’t win without them.
Positive #3: Joseph Woll Gave the Maple Leafs a Chance
Joseph Woll stopped 29 shots and kept this from getting away early. The scoreline might suggest otherwise, but this could have tilted badly in Nashville’s favour if not for a handful of timely saves. He showed up when coverage broke down.
Goaltending wasn’t the story in this game, and it hasn’t been for the team this season. That fact alone has been one of the few consistent positives this season.
3 Maple Leafs Negatives Against the Predators
Here are three negatives for the Maple Leafs from Saturday night’s game against the Predators.
Negative #1: The Maple Leafs Gave Up Avoidable Goals
Head coach Craig Berube didn’t mince words, and he didn’t have to. The late second-period goal was avoidable. So was the third-period go-ahead marker, where Morgan Rielly got turned inside out on the rush by Luke Evangelista.
Related: Flyers’ Denver Barkey’s Exceptional Debut Is a Sign of Things to Come
These Predators’ goals didn’t come from moments of brilliance; they beat poor defence. They were small, but decisive breakdowns. This team still struggles to protect critical moments, and until that changes, improved “process” will only go so far. Saturday night, it didn’t go nearly far enough.
Negative #2: The Maple Leafs’ Special Teams Drifted
The power play looked better and didn’t sink the team. That said, it didn’t save them either. Meanwhile, Nashville’s man advantage struck first, swinging momentum in a game that felt increasingly fragile for the Maple Leafs as it went on. As a fan, you simply no longer have the feeling that your team is going to rise and overwhelm the opposition. That’s a massive change from previous seasons.
(Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
At some point, a team built around elite offensive talent needs its special teams to tilt games, not merely survive them. Right now, that edge seems about as dull as it can be.
Negative #3: The Maple Leafs Showed (Again) Late-Game Fragility
When the Maple Leafs pulled Woll, they did push back. McMann’s late goal made things interesting, but two empty-net Predators’ goals told the deeper truth. Nashville stayed with their game. Toronto chased.
This team still looks tense and scared when the game tightens. They are simply unsure. That hesitation has a cost. My biggest concern about the team is that they’ve lost their willingness to push the puck down the other team’s throat. Offence is no longer inevitable from a team that should be able to put pucks past any goalie.
The Maple Leafs Bottom Line: Progress Isn’t the Same as Results
This was not a hopeless loss. That makes it even more frustrating. The Maple Leafs showed signs of playing better hockey, but there was no payoff. That has to make the team even more gunshy. Fans want wins, and that will come when winning habits hold when the game is on the line.
Related: Does Jack Campbell Have One More NHL Comeback Left in Him?
Saturday night offered some positive snapshots of what could be forming. It also reminded us how far this team still has to go. Three positives. Three negatives. Same unanswered question: when does “better” hockey finally take home a few wins?
