The Toronto Maple Leafs have won three straight games to begin November following a 5-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday (Nov. 5). After a shaky opening to the season in October, the Maple Leafs have been making progress. The team has bounced back in November before, posting a record of 38-9-6 from 2021-22 to 2024-25, and Toronto is off to a solid start in replicating that trend this campaign.
The Mammoth have been outstanding this season, entering Wednesday’s matchup with a mark of 9-4-0. The Sportsnet broadcast noted that since Oct. 16, Utah ranked first in wins (eight), first in goals (39), and third in shots per game (30.9). However, the club was playing for the third time in four days and in the second half of a back-to-back, so the Maple Leafs needed to stay on top of them. For the most part, Toronto did that and pulled away with an excellent showing in the third period in what was arguably their best all-around performance so far.
Maccelli Revenge Game
Matias Maccelli had the game-winning goal and added an assist for his first multi-point performance of the campaign. His breakthrough effort came against the team that traded him away during the offseason. He assisted on a second-period goal by Auston Matthews. The 28-year-old Matthews came off the bench on a line change and extended his goal streak to three consecutive contests with a one-timer. Maccelli secured a dump-in by Jake McCabe after lifting the stick of Olli Maatta before setting up the Toronto captain, who is beginning to turn it around with his third straight dominant outing. Matthews also tied Dave Keon for the second-most home goals (225) in franchise history.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Strong Third Period Secures 5-3 Win Over Mammoth
Maccelli re-entered the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first time this season in Monday’s (Nov. 3) 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He frequently sat as a member of the Mammoth (formerly known as the Hockey Club) during the 2024-25 campaign and was highly motivated going into Wednesday’s meeting against his former teammates. He’s played with a variety of linemates this season, and the Maple Leafs would benefit tremendously from more offensive displays like this, whether he remains in the bottom six or moves back up to a top-six role.
Tavares Honoured for Scoring 500th Goal
The Maple Leafs held a pregame ceremony for John Tavares after he scored his 500th career goal in a 6-3 road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 29. He wasn’t in the mood to celebrate at the time of scoring, but said it would be something he would appreciate more afterward. His parents, three children, and wife were on hand to recognize the milestone with him on Wednesday.
After a video tribute highlighting some of his goals, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving presented the 35-year-old forward with a golden stick to commemorate the achievement. The team donated $10,000 to The John Tavares Foundation, and his teammates matched the total. His charity was established in 2020 and is “dedicated to ensuring that children across Canada have the necessary support and tools to actively participate in their communities and explore their inner passions.”
He’s quickly approaching another benchmark after appearing in his 1,198th career game on Wednesday. He had the secondary helper on a second-period tally by William Nylander, who tied the game on a delayed penalty. Dmitri Simashev held Tavares on the play, but the Leafs forward kept control of the puck. It eventually went to Matthew Knies, who found Nylander in front to get the Maple Leafs on the board. Knies has a career-long six-game point streak, collecting three goals and seven assists over that stretch. He also scored an empty-netter in Wednesday’s win.
Tavares also gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the third period. Bobby McMann and Nicholas Robertson provided forechecking pressure on Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s shoot-around, which earned him the secondary assist, and McMann’s puck retrieval served as the primary helper. Tavares has amassed seven goals and 18 points through 14 games this season. He is tied with Knies for second in the league with 16 even-strength points. Nylander is currently in the top spot with 18. He also has a multi-point effort in seven of his 11 outings this season.
Returns Aplenty for Maple Leafs
Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz returned to the lineup. Easton Cowan was caught in the numbers game and headed to the American Hockey League. There were flashes of potential in his game, and he should log big minutes with the Toronto Marlies before potentially getting another chance with the Maple Leafs later in the season.
Laughton sustained a lower-body injury in the team’s exhibition finale and made his season debut against the Mammoth. The 31-year-old forward had an excellent preseason, and he could provide some much-needed offensive production from the fourth line. However, it was a relatively quiet statistical performance from him in Wednesday’s game. He had three hits and two penalty minutes in 10:57 of ice time. Lorentz sat out two matches after suffering an upper-body injury against the Blue Jackets. He had two blocks and three hits in 11:30 of action versus the Mammoth, while skating on a combination with Laughton and Max Domi.
Improvements Still Need to Be Made
The Maple Leafs carried over some momentum from a stirring third-period comeback against the Penguins on Monday. Despite a solid start, Toronto conceded the opening goal for a seventh consecutive contest, and for the ninth time this season, the club found itself chasing the game first. However, Toronto is tied for the most wins, with five, when trailing first in a game.
Some defensive issues still need to be ironed out. Brandon Carlo’s pass attempt to Morgan Rielly was broken up by Lawson Crouse, who out-hustled Carlo to the puck behind the net before finding Michael Carcone in front of the crease. Rielly didn’t stop to protect the blue paint because he was seeking to cut off Crouse from continuing to carry the puck or make a wraparound attempt. Domi was also late getting to Carcone, and the result was a 1-0 lead for the Mammoth.
Anthony Stolarz surrendered a five-hole goal on a point shot by Mikhail Sergachev. It was shot he should’ve had, and he knew it, as he looked skyward after the puck got behind him. He was better in the third before allowing a late goal to Dylan Guenther, who received a stretch pass and scored between the legs of Stolarz on a breakaway. The Toronto netminder has won his last four starts, but he’s been a bit of a mixed bag over that span. He has been making stops at opportune times, but he isn’t the difference-maker yet that he was during the 2024-25 campaign. Stringing together some wins will help, and so will getting Joseph Woll back, who is nearing a return to the crease.
What Comes Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs’ four-game homestand concludes this weekend with back-to-back games against the Boston Bruins (Nov. 8) and Carolina Hurricanes (Nov. 9) on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The matchup against the Bruins is the Remembrance Day Game, while the contest versus the Hurricanes is the annual Hockey Hall of Fame Game.
It was initially believed that the Bruins would be the opponent for the Hall of Fame Game because the list of inductees includes former Leafs and Bruins, like Alexander Mogilny, Joe Thornton, and Zdeno Chara. In any event, it’s all part of what should be must-watch hockey, as the Maple Leafs seek to continue the team’s run of successful Novembers.
