The Toronto Maple Leafs are now entering Week 14 of the NHL season and for them, the last two weeks have been the best stretch of the season. They are 7-0-2 in their last nine games and have recorded a point in each of those games. Last week, they went 3-0, with a big divisional win against the Florida Panthers, a huge comeback win against the Philadelphia Flyers, and a dominating win on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
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It has been a great week for the Maple Leafs, and now as we look ahead to the upcoming week, there is more to be excited about. It’s a western road trip that includes four stops in seven nights, with a back-to-back. It starts tonight with a stop in Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche.
Western Road Trip & First Game Against Mitch Marner
As mentioned above, the Maple Leafs are on a western road trip, with their first stop being tonight in Colorado. Tonight’s game will be a true test of how well this team has been playing. The Avalanche are the best team in the NHL and have only lost four games in regulation and seven in overtime. On the flip side, they’ve won 33 games, which is 11 more wins than Toronto. Their next stop is tomorrow on the second half of the back-to-back against the Utah Mammoth.
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After that, they make their way to Vegas to face Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights. This will be their first game against Marner since the trade that happened this past offseason. This game, and the one at home on Jan. 23, are ones that Leafs Nation circled as soon as the 2025-26 schedule was released. It’s going to be one that so many members of the fan base stay up late to watch and hopefully, the Maple Leafs can pull out a win.
The road trip ends with a game against the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg on Saturday night, which is Hockey Day in Canada. However, it is needless to say that the Thursday night game is the most anticipated one of this week’s schedule.
9-Game Point Streak Continues, Wild Card Spot in Sight
The Maple Leafs have been on a roll, as previously mentioned, and now they look to extend their point streak this week. They have recorded a point in the last nine games and have a 7-0-2 record in that time. It is safe to say that a switch has flipped within the organization because the way they have played is drastically different and resembles their play from last season.
Unfortunately, their point streak won’t last forever, but with them sitting just one point out of a wild card spot in the East and five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for third in the Atlantic, there’s a good chance that a strong week can push them into a playoff spot. While it is unrealistic to think that they will be able to extend their point streak to 14 games, if they were able to come out of this week with at least three wins, it would help them immensely.
Anthony Stolarz Close to Returning
Lastly, it has been reported that goaltender Anthony Stolarz is making the trip with the club. This is a good sign in terms of his recovery and could signal that he is ready to return to the lineup as early as this week. With that said, his return will likely mean the end of the Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby tandem that has been lights out for quite some time. It will also force the organization to make a decision regarding who is staying with the club and who isn’t, which will likely mean Hildeby is reassigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
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However, they should consider keeping a three-goalie rotation. Yes, it is hard to manage, but with the injuries that Woll and Stolarz have dealt with over the last season and a bit, it makes sense to keep Hildeby with the club and give a goalie a complete night off every few games.
Maple Leafs Schedule Jan. 12 – 17
| Date | Time (EST) | Opponent | Venue | Notes |
| Mon, Jan 12 | 10:00 PM | vs. Colorado Avalanche | Ball Arena | Huge test against the NHL’s best team |
| Tues, Jan 13 | 10:00 PM | vs. Utah Mammoth | Delta Center | First trip of the season to Utah |
| Thu, Jan 15 | 9:30 PM | @ Vegas Golden Knights | T-Mobile Arena | First game against Marner |
| Sat, Jan 17 | 7:00 PM | Winnipeg Jets | Canada Life Centre | Hockey Day in Canada |
