The Toronto Maple Leafs picked the perfect time to play their most complete game of the season.
The Leafs hosted the Florida Panthers Tuesday night in what felt like a Stanley Cup Playoff game from the opening puck drop. The pace was extremely high out of the gates, there was very little ice to operate, and Toronto matched the Panthers intensity, controlled the game at times, and used contributions from all over the lineup to hold off the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions 4-1.
Auston Matthews was honoured before the game by Leafs’ legend Mats Sundin, accepting a celebratory plaque for passing Sundin in the organization’s record books with his 421st goal last Saturday night on Long Island. It was a fantastic moment for the franchise and you could tell how much it meant for Matthews to not only feel the love from Leafs Nation, but have Sundin in attendance to be part of the celebration.
Mats Sundin and the Maple Leafs honour Auston Matthews for becoming the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer 👏🍁 pic.twitter.com/5q4MQHWJRQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 7, 2026
Tuesday’s affair was a borderline statement game for the Maple Leafs as they showed their capable of playing a solid game in all three zones. It was the first time the Panthers had been in Toronto since they eliminated them from the playoffs last season, and you could tell this game meant a ton to either side.
The third line stood out once again in this one, as Nicolas Roy, Nick Robertson, and Easton Cowan were all over the ice. Cowan opened the scoring in the dying seconds of the first period, which gave the Leafs a ton of momentum heading into the intermission. They’d go on to score twice in the first five minutes of the second period, thanks to a Matthews Knies’ tip in front, and Matthews with his 422nd career goal. While the whole team was absolutely solid, Roy, Robertson, and Cowan outworked the Panthers almost every shift they were on the ice, were the Leafs’ most physical line, and had Florida’s defencemen on their heels. It’s a great sign for the Leafs’ bottom six to start showcasing an identity, and it was on full display against the rival Panthers in arguably the biggest game of the season.
All eyes were on defenceman Morgan Rielly, who was coming off perhaps his worst game as a Maple Leaf last Saturday against the Islanders. Although he didn’t have a ‘bounce-back’ game, he was unnoticeable on the ice for the most part, which is a very good sign, especially of late. Rielly finished the night with a +2 rating, and played close to 20 minutes. Joseph Woll took home the victory and was absolutely dialed in during the early parts of the third period to hold onto the lead. He’d go on to stop 18 shots in the third, and 31 overall on the night.
The Maple Leafs now hit the road to take on the Flyers in Philadelphia on Thursday, after their sixth straight win on home ice. They’ll need the same type of intensity and tenacity on the road, as this hockey team is trending in the right direction at the moment.