The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t hit rock bottom, but they’re certainly getting closer by the day.
After a great opening period in Nashville, Craig Berube’s team blew two leads against the Predators, and couldn’t claw their way back late. Yes, they seemed much more engaged and showed up on time. Yes, Craig Berube made changes throughout the lineup, and early on, it worked. Unfortunately, it didn’t persist for a full 60 minutes, and Leafs Nation is reminded there’s no morale victories in sports. It’s a business, and the organization has serious business decisions to consider right now.
It’s a tough place to be when the few Leafs’ positives start with the return of Matias Maccelli. The shifty winger finally made his way back into Berube’s lineup, his first game since November 28. Maccelli was engaged in all three zones and showed off some great chemistry with William Nylander and John Tavares. Maccelli has not been consistent at all as a Leaf, and a big part of that is he’s facilitating too much, and isn’t shooting the puck or making himself a threat offensively. That wasn’t the case against the Preds and he should be back in the lineup Sunday against the Dallas Stars.
The first period overall for the Maple Leafs was very positive. Berube put the lines in a blender as all four were different from the dismal effort Thursday night in Washington. Toronto came out with some urgency, they played with speed, and they had a totally different flow to their game. Unfortunately, that was only the first 20 minutes. Nick Robertson and Easton Cowan had strong games, Calle Jarnkrok looked out of place.
Joseph Woll had a so-so game and while he had no chance on the first goal, Nashville’s second goal was a stinker. Predators defenceman Adam Wilsby scored his first goal of the season in the dying seconds of the second period on a very weak wrister that snuck underneath Woll’s blocker side. It tied the game at two and frankly, it was deflating to a team that needs every ounce of momentum possible at the moment.
The Preds’ third goal was an unbelievable solo effort from Luke Evangelista, and a terrible effort by Morgan Rielly. While there’s a lot of speculation about Craig Berube’s future, Rielly’s someone to keep an eye on after the holiday roster freeze. These kinds of plays have happened much too often lately:
Evangelista gives Nashville the lead
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/flFdLvChLJ
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) December 21, 2025
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The Maple Leafs are a mess. With the holiday freeze, all eyes are on the Maple Leafs’ bench. Tis’ the season for holiday cheer, it’s too bad this hockey team isn’t giving anyone much to cheer about these days.
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