For twenty minutes last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs were very much in command of the game. They were up 3–1, skating with pace, moving the puck cleanly, and getting contributions from the top of the lineup. William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Morgan Rielly all scored, but the game was most notable for how connected the group looked. The power play chipped in, the bench was engaged, and there was a rhythm to Toronto’s game that doesn’t always show up on the road.
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Nylander, in particular, was electric. He wasn’t just producing — he was tilting the ice, pulling defenders out of shape, and giving Toronto an edge in transition. When he left the game after aggravating his lower-body injury, the tone shifted. The Maple Leafs went from dictating terms to managing them.
The game eventually slipped to a 6–5 overtime loss, in part thanks to a bounce that helped the Golden Knights force overtime with seven seconds left. That’s hockey. But the bigger question wasn’t luck; it was that Toronto didn’t do enough to close when the opportunity was there.
Item One: Matias Maccelli Is Becoming Hard to Ignore
Matias Maccelli didn’t grab the headlines, but he nudged the game along in ways that matter: two assists, one on the power play, four shots on goal. The winger is starting to earn his ice time instead of borrowing it. The touches were clean, the reads quick, and there was a sense that when the puck found him, something useful was about to happen.
What stands out is how steady his January has been. Six points in eight games, three of them on the power play, and his first multi-point night since New Year’s Day. That’s real progress for a player who was a healthy scratch in December and is now pushing play in meaningful minutes. His season totals already top last year’s output in fewer games, and that doesn’t happen by accident.
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With Nylander’s status uncertain again, Maccelli’s timing matters. He’s not Nylander, and he shouldn’t be asked to be. Still, he offers growing strength with the puck and patience under pressure. If this stretch continues, he’s not just filling space. He’s making it harder to take him out of the conversation when the lineup gets healthy.
Item Two: Scott Laughton Is Doing the Job Every Game Now
Scott Laughton did what good players are supposed to do Thursday night: he scored when it mattered. His third-period goal put Toronto up 5–3, and it should have been the go-ahead goal that allowed the team to settle in and manage the rest of the night.
That it didn’t hold doesn’t erase his value to the team. Laughton has two goals in five games and continues to pile up the unglamorous numbers — hits, blocks, tough shifts, no penalties that should have been drawn. Six goals, two shorthanded, with five coming in the third period. From a fourth-line role, that tells you exactly what kind of season he’s having.
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When games turn chaotic, players like Laughton give their team a needed boost. His shifts stayed simple while the game around him loosened. Over the long haul, that matters — especially when leads feel fragile, and injuries start to test depth. He’s becoming more indispensable to his team.
Item Three: John Tavares Keeps the Meter Running
John Tavares did his part again. A power-play goal and an assist marked his first multi-point game since late December, and it was exactly the kind of night he’s built his career on. He was efficient, composed, and steady.
At 35, Tavares isn’t asked to carry the offence, but he continues to add to it. Two goals and four assists over eight January games is second-line production that holds the middle of the lineup together. Even though he was moved to the second unit, his work on the power play remains particularly valuable. His timing, smarts, and positioning still matter more than his speed.
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When injuries hit and lines shift, Tavares provides continuity. His minus-5 rating will draw some attention, but the broader picture is a veteran absorbing tough minutes and making sure the game never drifts completely out of reach.
Post-Mortem: One Point Is Better Than None
In the end, the Maple Leafs left Vegas with a point. It isn’t perfect, but it matters. They played well enough to win, controlled long stretches of the game, and showed real pushback after momentum swings. This wasn’t a flat effort or a system breakdown. It was a good road game that slipped away.
That said, the game was also a reminder of how thin the margin can be. A 5–3 third-period lead should be enough. Seven seconds shouldn’t be enough time to undo it. Vegas needed a bounce, and they got one. The Maple Leafs had chances to close it out earlier. They didn’t. The lesson costs them a point, but not their footing. It could have been one point worse.
