The Toronto Maple Leafs lost a 2-1 overtime decision against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday (Jan. 21). The Maple Leafs played better out of the gate than they did against the Minnesota Wild on Monday (Jan. 19) and dictated the pace in the second period, but came up short in what became a goaltending duel between Jospeh Woll and John Gibson. The Red Wings have won three straight games and rank fifth in the league with a .647 point percentage through 51 games (31-16-4).
The Red Wings completed a season-series sweep of the Maple Leafs, winning for a fourth straight time. The final two contests were decided in overtime, with the first lasting only 1:46 and Wednesday’s matchup ending at the 3:08 mark. With a shootout looming on Wednesday, Easton Cowan got outmuscled by Moritz Seider, who gave the puck to Dylan Larkin for the winner, following an offensive zone faceoff for the Maple Leafs. It was a tough look for the 20-year-old Cowan, who had an up-and-down performance. Despite limited ice time, he has been productive with three goals and five points in his last nine outings.
Laughton Continues Resurgence
On a night where goals were challenging to come by, it likely won’t be a shock that there weren’t many players who stood out offensively. Auston Matthews had a team-high five shots on goal, but his three-game point streak came to an end. Entering Wednesday’s action, he had a goal in three straight contests and had added two assists.
However, Scott Laughton was the lone scorer for the Maple Leafs. He kept the puck in at the blue line and got the icebreaker 4:46 into the opening frame. He went to the net and cleaned up a shot that Calle Jarnkrok fanned on after being set up by Steven Lorentz. Laughton has been incredibly inconsistent offensively this season, but he has been dominant on the draw and an integral part of the team’s fourth-ranked penalty kill. Both clubs failed to score on two power-play chances apiece in Wednesday’s matchup.
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Laughton had a chance to restore Toronto’s one-goal lead late in the second period with a penalty shot, but it didn’t go well. He came in slowly after a tiring shift, lost control of the puck, and didn’t get much of a shot away. At least he had a sense of humour about it afterward, telling reporters, “I was too tired. I should have faked a broken stick and let Auston Matthews go or something. I’ve done that move before and just lost the puck, that’s pretty much it.”
Woll Bounces Back
Woll allowed 11 goals on 62 shots in two games going into Wednesday’s start. It’s led to some speculation that he is wearing down a bit and could use a break. As a result, it would’ve been appropriate to give Dennis Hildeby the nod. It could’ve given Woll a breather ahead of a potential return to the crease in a rematch against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday (Jan. 23).
While he didn’t play well versus the Golden Knights in a 6-5 overtime loss on Jan. 16, he was sharp in Wednesday’s loss to the Red Wings. He was superb in the first period while making numerous saves in tight and through traffic, including a wild sequence that resembled a rugby scrum. However, Detroit got on the board with only 17 seconds remaining to fight back some momentum. Still, he made a season-high 39 saves in the defeat.
More Injury Concerns
Oliver Ekman-Larsson left the game in the first period due to a lower-body injury. His right leg appeared to get twisted when he fell awkwardly after getting tangled up with Lucas Raymond. There was no update on his status following the match, but he would be a significant loss if he misses games for the first time this season. Since the start of January, he has the second-most points (two goals, six assists) on the team, leads the squad with a plus-11 rating and has logged 20:28 of ice time per outing.
Toronto is facing health problems again, as Ekman-Larsson joins William Nylander among the recent injury losses. Additionally, Matthew Knies continues to battle a lingering lower-body issue, and Brandon Carlo may have tweaked something, according to Chris Johnston of TSN.
Losing any of them would be a big hole to fill. The absences of Nylander and Ekman-Larsson are also possible blows to the men’s hockey roster of Sweden for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Swedes already expect to be without the services of Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks) and Jonas Brodin (Wild). Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche), Joel Eriksson Ek (Wild), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins) are also dealing with injuries, with the Olympic break drawing near.
What Comes Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs have gone 0-1-1 to begin a five-game homestand and host the Golden Knights on Friday in Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto. It’s unclear if Nylander, Ekman-Larsson, or the recovering Anthony Stolarz will be ready to play, but the team desperately needs a spark. The crowd’s reaction to Marner could create energy in the building, but ultimately, it will be up to the players.
The Maple Leafs were outshot 13-5 in the third period against the Red Wings and 6-0 in overtime. The team’s inability to play a complete game from opening faceoff until the final buzzer has been apparent for most of the season, and it has been frustratingly noticeable again recently.
