The Toronto Maple Leafs were back in action last night against the Anaheim Ducks in a game that was thought to be a throw-away game. It is an inter-conference game on a Thursday night placed in between games against the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres. No one would have thought it would have turned out to be as good as it was.
Mind you, at the start of the game, it wasn’t the most exciting. However, as the game went on and the physicality and goals ramped up, it became must-watch TV. On top of that, the Maple Leafs were able to snap their eight-game losing streak and win their first game since the Olympic break, nearly a month ago.
Maple Leafs Get First Win Since Olympic Break
As I alluded to above, the Maple Leafs won their first game since returning from the 2026 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, it has been a very difficult time in Leafs Land since the games resumed, which has fans calling for major changes to their roster. After a stressful trade deadline, the Maple Leafs finally were able to squeak out a win after dropping eight straight.
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It was a game that they looked down and out in by the early second period. However, they battled through and eventually were able to come out on top. The comeback win was largely due to their power play, which got their money’s worth last night against the Ducks. Overall, after it looked like they’d fall behind early and have another terrible game, they pulled it together, bonding over adversity and winning the game 6-4.
Matthews Goal Overshadowed by Dirty Hit From Gudas
Last night was a game for the fan base that stayed through the struggles this season. The Maple Leafs’ captain Auston Matthews scored on a vintage one-timer that looked to be going wide but went underneath Lukas Dostal’s arm. That goal snapped a 12 game goalless drought but also seemed to spark some mojo into his game. On his very next shift after the goal, he was carrying the puck with confidence.
That was until he was caught by Radko Gudas with a knee-on-knee hit. The hit itself was very dirty and on the play, Gudas received a five minute major and a game misconduct.
As for Matthews, he stayed down on the ice for a while until he was helped off by a trainer and Brandon Carlo. He went straight down the tunnel and didn’t return. He wasn’t able to put weight on his left leg, which now has people wondering how much damage he is dealing with and how long he will be out of the lineup.
Maple Leafs Bring Physicality in Third
As the Maple Leafs entered the third period, there was a sense of urgency from the team. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any push back when Matthews was down on the ice, but when the third started there was. It started with Michael Pezzetta who was making his Maple Leafs debut and had a fight just two seconds into the period. He landed a few big hits on the Ducks’ defensemen and then there was William Nylander and Morgan Rielly who weren’t shy to push back.
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The night ended with Max Domi getting a 10 minute misconduct after he went after Beckett Sennecke and Easton Cowan dropped the gloves with Jackson Lacombe after he landed a hit on Nicholas Robertson. And, at the final buzzer Jeffrey Viel, who fought Pezzetta in the first, tried to stir something up with Jake McCabe. But it never turned into anything more than a few shoves. All in all, it was a great response in a game where they saw their captain laying on the ice after a very dirty hit and no push back. Whatever was said in the second intermission worked. Whether it was from Craig Berube or one of the veterans in the locker room, whatever was said sparked the fight in the Maple Leafs that fans haven’t seen since before the Olympic break.
