The Toronto Maple Leafs left Detroit with a point after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Red Wings, but it didn’t feel like a consolation prize so much as an unfinished thought. The Maple Leafs controlled the pace for stretches, got the saves they needed, and found goals from players who’ve been trying to push their way into bigger conversations. And yet, when the game tilted into overtime, the familiar problem returned — a moment lost, a lane opened, and another lesson filed away as the Red Wings won.
Matthew Knies opened the scoring on a rare road power-play goal, crashing the net and paying the price in front. Nicholas Robertson added another in the third, briefly restoring the Maple Leafs’ lead, both goals coming off the stick — and the patience — of John Tavares.
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Dennis Hildeby was solid for most of the night, stopping 33 shots and keeping Toronto alive late in regulation. Still, a late tying goal and an overtime winner from Simon Edvinsson left the Maple Leafs chasing rather than closing. That’s been the pattern against the Red Wings this season.
Item One: The Maple Leafs Power Play Is Working (At Least a Little)
Early returns on the Maple Leafs’ power play are encouraging. Nobody’s declaring a breakthrough, but there’s a sense of order creeping back in. Pucks are getting to the net, shots are coming quicker, and it no longer looks like five players waiting for the perfect moment to appear.
This feels less about personnel and more about structure. Shot volume matters. Get pucks through traffic, make the goalie work, and let rebounds and broken plays do their thing. It’s not elegant, but it’s functional. For a team that has spent too much time searching for answers, functional is a sign of progress.
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There was also a familiar rhythm to what followed. After the Maple Leafs cashed in, the game opened up. The pace picked up, the ice widened, and the margins got thinner. For a stretch, Toronto had the run of play, but couldn’t slow the game down enough to turn control into separation. That’s the next step.
Item Two: John Tavares as a Maple Leafs Barometer
John Tavares has always struck me as a litmus test for this team. He’s not a player who floats in and out of games, and he doesn’t rely on emotion to get going. When his game looks unsettled, it usually means something deeper is off.
Earlier this season, after starting on a surprising hot streak, there were nights when it felt like he was swimming upstream. He was working hard, but not quite anchoring things the way he usually does. Sunday looked different. Two assists, including one on the power play, both earned the hard way. He won puck battles, slowed the game just enough, and let Knies and Robertson do something useful with it.
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That’s Tavares hockey. It isn’t flashy, but it is grounding. When he’s involved like that, the Maple Leafs tend to look more organized, more purposeful. He doesn’t fix everything, but he reveals a lot. Lately, the signs are better. Not perfect. But steadier.
Item Three: Miroslav Holinka Keeps Making His Case
If Miroslav Holinka was disappointed about missing out on Czechia’s World Junior roster, he hasn’t shown it. He returned to the Western Hockey League (WHL) and did what good young players usually do when they feel overlooked — he got louder with his play.
Sunday’s hat trick for the Edmonton Oil Kings was another reminder that Holinka is starting to outgrow the level. He’s scored in seven of his last nine games, piling up nine goals and nine assists in that stretch. That’s not a random hot streak. That’s consistency.
He’s already blown past last season’s point total in far fewer games, and the growth looks intentional. Not much noise, no entitlement, just steady pressure on the organization to keep him on the radar. World Juniors come and go. Players who keep stacking nights like this tend to stick around. He’s a Maple Leafs prospect to watch.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs are competitive most nights. That much is clear. But overtime remains an unsolved problem, and against the Red Wings in particular, they’re still reacting instead of dictating. The power play is showing signs of life, the veterans are reasserting themselves, and the prospect pipeline keeps nudging from below.
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Now comes the harder part — turning good stretches into finished games, and information nights into habits. The standings will take care of themselves. What matters more right now is whether the Maple Leafs can learn to close out games.
Tomorrow’s home game against the New Jersey Devils, led by former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, could be a real test for Toronto. The last time they faced New Jersey, the team looked slow and got exposed by the Devils’ speed; they’ve picked up the pace since then, but we’ll see where the Maple Leafs really stand when they lace up tomorrow night.
