The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Tuesday (Jan. 6). It was an important Atlantic Division clash that pulled the Maple Leafs even with the Panthers in the standings and has them two points away from the final Wild Card spot. It also continued a trend of vastly improved play that the team started in late December.
All four forward lines generated chances, leading to the Maple Leafs dominating play in the first two periods. The team was guilty of sitting back a little too much again down the stretch. However, back-to-back Florida power plays and an extended 6-on-5 at the end were major contributors to the shot and possession disparities in the third frame. Still, it was more akin to the bend but don’t break defensive play from last season, rather than the slow burn toward eventual collapse that has been far too prevalent this campaign.
Matthews Celebrated, Continued Red-Hot Play
Auston Matthews was honoured before the game after becoming the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer in Saturday’s (Jan. 3) 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. He tied Mats Sundin and surpassed the Hall-of-Fame great with his 421st career goal. Sundin was on hand Tuesday to celebrate with the current Toronto captain, present him with a gift, and pass the torch. Matthews has been firing on all cylinders, generating seven goals and four assists during his five-game point streak. If he stays hot, he could reach other milestones before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Related: Maple Leafs Extend Point Streak to 7 Games in 4-1 Win Over Panthers
He benefited from some great work by the trio of John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Matias Maccelli in the second period of Tuesday’s victory. Maccelli was hit from behind by Niko Mikkola, but the puck found its way to Knies, who outmuscled and got high-sticked by Mikkola while cutting to the net. Knies maintained possession and sent the puck back against the grain to Matthews, who came off the bench on a change to score his 21st goal of the season and the 422nd of his career. The marker gave the Maple Leafs a 3-0 lead in what may have been their best second-period showing of the campaign.
Knies Makes an Impact
In addition to his impressive assist, Knies netted his 12th goal of 2025-26 just 42 seconds into the second stanza. The Maple Leafs pounced on a turnover that went off the skate of Panthers rearguard Aaron Ekblad. Maccelli rushed the puck up the ice and banked it back to himself on a dump-in. It got to Tavares, who fed Troy Stecher for a one-timer that Knies deflected into the net.
Knies was noticeable in his 200th regular-season game. He has accounted for five goals and eight points in his last seven outings. He joined Alex Ovechkin, Jamie Benn, and Gabriel Landeskog in some elite power forward company as the fourth player since 2005-06 to top 50 goals, 75 assists, and 400 hits in his first 200 career contests.
Roy Lights a Fire
The game heated up late in the first period with players from both teams throwing their weight around. After a fight between Max Domi and Ekblad, Nicolas Roy took exception to a high hit he received from Uvis Balinskis, and he nailed the Panthers defender near the bench shortly afterward.
The physical play sparked the Maple Leafs, and the team opened the scoring before the first intermission. Easton Cowan started the play in his own zone before finishing it at the other end. Roy, Morgan Rielly, and Nicholas Robertson touched the puck before it got back to Cowan, who tapped in a cross-ice pass with 24 seconds remaining in the first frame. Roy also assisted on Bobby McMann’s empty-netter for a two-assist effort.
The nastiness carried over into the second period when Scott Laughton was buried into the boards from behind by Eetu Luostarinen. A penalty was not called on the play, even though Laughton’s nose was cut, which typically results in a five-minute major and a game misconduct. However, the Maple Leafs kept their composure while continuing to frustrate the Panthers with a praiseworthy defensive performance.
Blue Line Steps Up
It was a sluggish start, with multiple failed passing attempts, but once the team settled down, it was an outstanding contest by the defence corps. They did a good job of keeping the Panthers to the outside and didn’t give them many second-chance opportunities. Even when Florida pulled the goalie for an extra attacker with just over four minutes remaining in the third, they didn’t generate many quality looks. Joseph Woll was also dependable when called upon, especially in the third period when he made 18 of his 31 saves. His only mistake was an attempted clear that Carter Verhaeghe gloved down before banking the puck off Woll for Florida’s lone goal.
The Maple Leafs played without key blueliners Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe, but got Brandon Carlo back following a 23-game absence. The 29-year-old Carlo logged 17:41 of ice time in the match, the second-fewest among the club’s defenders, but finished with a plus-2 rating, one blocked shot and one hit. The duo of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Stecher did most of the heavy lifting, and Stecher led the team with 24:08 of action. With Tanev not expected back anytime soon, the Maple Leafs need more efforts like this from the group, especially until McCabe returns.
What Comes Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday (Jan. 8) before hosting the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (Jan. 10). The Flyers have been playing well recently, winning six of their past 10 contests, including the last two, and have a formidable 12-5-4 record at home.
The Maple Leafs have gone 5-0-2 in their past seven outings. The team has the second-most home wins (15) in the league, trailing only the first-place Colorado Avalanche (17). However, it’s been a struggle for Toronto on the road. The Maple Leafs have an away record of 5-10-2 and haven’t won on the road since early December, when they defeated the Panthers (4-1) and Carolina Hurricanes (5-1). After Saturday’s matchup against the Canucks, the Maple Leafs have a four-game road trip, and Thursday’s visit to the Flyers could serve as a confidence booster if the team continues to play inspired and reliable hockey.
