The Maple Leafs held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Friday before flying to Montreal.

Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies returned to Leafs practice on Friday.

“They’re out there, which is good, but availability tomorrow is doubtful,” said coach Craig Berube.

Matthews and Knies skated as extras on the fifth line alongside Sammy Blais, who was a healthy scratch in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Matthews, the team’s top-line centre and captain, has been sidelined since sustaining a lower-body injury on Nov. 11 in Boston. He got back on the ice for the first time on Tuesday and has skated every day since.

Knies, a top-six winger, was a late scratch for Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues due to a lingering lower-body issue. Friday marked his first on-ice session since then.

Toronto is currently down six regulars due to injury as they prepare to take on the Canadiens on Saturday night.

“That’s a big game,” said Berube. “We talked about that this morning. It’s obviously a big division game. It’s always a big game against Montreal, and it’s a big game for us in terms of where we’re at and where we’re heading, so it’s a big game.”

The Canadiens are two points ahead of the Leafs in the standings with both teams currently outside a playoff position. The Leafs are looking to get back on track after going winless in six of their last seven games (1-4-2).

After playing in Montreal on Saturday, Toronto will return home for a pair of practices before heading back on the road for games in Columbus, Washington, Pittsburgh, Florida and Carolina.

“It’s a long trip, so hopefully we get bodies back and we get some health, which would be great,” said Berube.

Centre Nicolas Roy skated before practice on Friday as he works his way back from an upper-body injury.

“Probably still a ways away,” Berube said. “I got no timeline for him.”

Roy last played on Saturday in Chicago where he logged a season-high 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Defenceman Brandon Carlo, who is dealing with a lower-body issue, has not been on the ice since completing a game on Nov. 13 against the Los Angeles Kings. Berube is hoping Carlo will resume skating on Monday.

Defenceman Chris Tanev, who was stretchered off the ice in Philadelphia on Nov. 1 with an upper-body injury, skated again before practice. There’s still no timeline for his return, but Berube said the absence will be “long term.”

Goalie Anthony Stolarz has not skated since suffering an upper-body injury on Nov. 11 in Boston. Berube noted on Friday that the injury is worse than the team initially thought.

Matthews, Knies return to Leafs practice, but doubtful for Saturday Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies were both on the ice Friday morning but there is no change to their status as their availability remains doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Canadiens. Head coach Craig Berube was also asked for updates on Anthony Stolarz, Nicolas Roy, Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev.

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With the team down a couple of regular centres, Max Domi is being asked to play out of position in the middle of the ice.

What is Berube seeing lately from Domi?

“Inconsistency,” the coach said. “Does some good things. I’m trying to think of the game that I liked, you know, a couple games ago … I met with him, we talked, and I thought I got a good game out of him, a competitive game. He needs to stay competitive, in my opinion, every shift. And we need him to be better.”

Domi, who is in the second season of a four-year contract, has just three goals and three assists through 21 games. He is goalless in 11 games with just three assists in that stretch.

“Trying to focus on the D-zone side of it,” Domi said. “The offensive side will come … So, just got to keep building, keep getting better, and focus on the process, not get too caught up on the outcome here. I think that’s an easy way to get distracted and to get down confidence-wise. So just got to stick to the process and then be a good teammate and then work as hard as you can.”

Domi is a team-worst minus-11 on the season. The latest minus came in overtime on Thursday night when Domi made a high-risk pass that was easily picked off by Zach Werenski. The Jackets’ defenceman then passed the puck to Adam Fantilli, who beat Domi up the ice to score the game-winning goal.

“Trying to make a play,” Domi said. “That’s a play that you have to make and I didn’t make it, so that’s 100 per cent on me and I’ll take accountability there. If you’re going to make a play like that you got to make sure you execute and I didn’t execute there, so got to be better.”

“He forced the puck there, didn’t need to,” said Berube. “It’s not a real opportunity. We want to hang onto pucks and keep possession, and he forced it.”

William Nylander, who is tied for the Leafs’ franchise record with 14 overtime goals, defended Domi.

“I mean, he wasn’t trying to make a crazy play,” Nylander said. “It was just unlucky.”

Nylander scored the overtime winner on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues and was quick to point out that he easily could have been the goat early in that extra period after Jordan Kyrou knocked down his flip pass.

“First shift, I try to flip it over a guy’s stick, and it went the other way,” he said. “They could have scored. But, I mean, sometimes that’s just what happens. I mean, to flip it over a guy’s stick in that situation was maybe a little stupid of me (smile). But, yeah, you just got to balance it and try to make the right plays at the right time.”

Thursday was Toronto’s third overtime loss of the season. Nylander was called out by Stolarz for a poor effort on the final play of an overtime loss against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 18.

“Teams are even,” said Berube. “There’s a lot of tight games. It’s going to continue to be that way with tight games. So overtime’s important. We blundered a couple this year already, which we didn’t need to. We did that ourselves. The other team didn’t do it to us.”

Just early-season issues?

Stolarz: I mean, a lot of guys have been here for a while. Overtime, you can’t let someone beat you up the ice there & gets a clear-cut breakaway. A minute left, you want to be on the ice in that situation you gotta work hard … It cost us a point https://t.co/3bCHR1sFRS

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 19, 2025

Only four points separate first-place Detroit and seventh-place Toronto in the Atlantic Division standings.

Domi takes accountability for OT error as Berube says ‘we need him to be better’ Max Domi took full responsibility for the turnover in overtime that led to the game-winning goal for the Blue Jackets on Thursday and head coach Craig Berube explained what he wants to see from his forward.

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Easton Cowan earned some shifts on the top line and in overtime on Thursday night and even had a partial break with a chance to end the game.

“It’s good I’m getting out there, but I got to capitalize,” the rookie winger said. “I’m getting chances. I just got to bury … I take responsibility, and I gotta to bury one. I’ve just got to keep going.”

Cowan sounded frustrated.

“I wouldn’t say frustrated, no,” the 20-year-old said. “But if I bury one of them, we could have won the game, so that’s the unfortunate part, but I’ve just got to stay positive.”

Cowan matched a career high with four shots on net while logging a career-high 20 minutes and six seconds against the Blue Jackets.

The coach certainly appreciates that the team’s youngest player is far from satisfied.

“I like to hear that as a coach for sure,” Berube said. “It’s harder for young guys to score in this league. It takes some time, but I do believe that he’s such a competitor and he wants it all, which I like. I believe he’ll figure it out faster than normal. I do believe that.”

“That’s great that he expects more from himself,” said Nylander. “But, I mean, I think he’s been playing great … Generating chances is what’s most important, and, you know, pucks will start going in for him.”

‘I just got to bury’: Rookie Cowan takes responsibility after Leafs loss Leafs rookie Easton Cowan had a golden opportunity to play overtime-hero but was unable to capitalize on his chance against the Blue Jackets. Cowan took accountability for the loss, but while his team appreciates him falling on the sword, they say the defeat is not on him and he has been playing great.

Berube played Cowan on the top line beside John Tavares and Nylander for just under eight minutes on Thursday. The first-year pro appears to be growing more and more confident with every game.

“He’s more confident holding onto the puck and making plays,” Nylander observed. “Now he’s getting chances like almost every time he’s out there.”

Cowan made a nice play to set up Tavares for Toronto’s tying goal early in the third period.

“He’s come a long way,” Tavares said. “You can just see … his ability to read the game and make little plays, just like you did on my goal. He just lays it in there not too quick, just in the right spot with the right pace on it and just an easy play for me to put in. He just seems to be strong on the puck, absorbing contact, things like that. You saw it throughout the game. I thought it was evident in overtime as well. He’s playing really well, and credit to him the way he’s just kind of not tried to do too much, focus too much on things offensively. Just, you know, be consistent with his game in all areas.”

Cowan drew a tripping penalty on Charlie Coyle in the first period on Thursday. He is now up to second on the team with six penalties drawn this season.

Cowan was back on the third line with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz at practice, but Berube confirmed he plans to continue bumping him up for top-line shifts in certain situations such as offensive-zone starts.

Calle Jarnkrok was back on the top line at practice. Regardless of who played on right wing, Toronto’s top line felt dangerous throughout the night against Columbus.

“I thought we were pretty dominant, to be honest, in that game,” Nylander said succinctly.

Nylander calls Leafs top line ‘dominant’; Jarnkrok, Cowan will continue to split time William Nylander assessed how his line with John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok played against the Blue Jackets while head coach Craig Berube said he will continue to split the time between Jarnkrok and Easton Cowan. Nylander and John Tavares both noted the growth they have seen in Cowan’s game since the start of the season.

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Tavares also picked up an assist on Toronto’s first goal. The 35-year-old centre won an offensive-zone face-off and set a screen, which allowed defenceman Dakota Mermis to sift a shot through Jet Greaves for his first goal with the Leafs.

Tavares fired five shots on net while logging 21 minutes of ice time.

“He just wills his way around the ice,” said Berube. “The effort he puts in every shift is remarkable. It really is. I mean, another solid performance for him.”

Tavares is averaging 21 minutes and 42 seconds of ice time in the four games since Matthews got hurt. That’s way up from the 17 minutes and 37 seconds he averaged in the first 17 games of the season.

Berube is trying to lighten the load a bit on Tavares. The return of Laughton on Thursday from an upper-body injury helped in that regard.

“It was great having Laughton back because I didn’t use him against the Fantilli line all night,” Berube pointed out. “I used Laughton’s line against him, give him a little breather there, and get him against different lines and different D pairs, and not so many D zone face-offs either.”

Tavares battled Fantilli over eight minutes and 24 seconds at 5-on-5 on Thursday while Laughton saw five minutes and 40 seconds against Columbus’ top-line centre.

Laughton played 17 minutes and 22 seconds overall in his first game action since Nov. 8. He landed four shots on net and helped the Leafs kill off a pair of Jackets power plays.

“The energy was there,” Laughton said. “It’s helpful to be back with Cowboy, Jarny for some shifts and Stevie. We read off each other well. I thought we did a good job for the most part, other than a couple shifts. I thought we played in the O-zone, wore them down a little bit. It would be nice to pot one there in the first off a skate or something like that, but we’ll keep building and keep working on our game. But I liked it for the most part.”

‘Effort he puts in every shift is remarkable’: Tavares willing Leafs through tough stretch John Tavares has recorded a point in 16 of the 21 games he has played in this season for the Maple Leafs and his teammates have noticed how he has been leading by example during the early part of the campaign which has seen some tough stretches.

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The Leafs failed to convert on their two power-play chances. The team is now 0-for-9 over the last four games, but there have been positive signs of late.

“We’re now getting a lot of chances,” said Nylander. “We just got to keep sticking with it. Not trying to change too much. I think the way it’s been going the past couple of games is positive, so we just got to build.”

The Leafs hit the net with six shots on their power plays.

“They really did a good job of moving the puck and attacking right away and creating chaos around the net and some opportunities,” Berube said.

With the left-handed Knies out, the right-handed Jarnkrok is filling in as the net-front presence on the top unit.

“The movement of the puck, sticks match a little bit easier to make some plays,” Nylander said. “So that’s what happens having a righty down there.”

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Joseph Woll robbed Jarnkrok with a desperation glove save during the first power-play rep on Friday. Jarnkrok tossed his stick and glove in mock exasperation.

“His stick and gloves were in the stands after,” Woll said with a smile. “That was a lucky one, to be honest with you. I just kind of closed my eyes, threw out my glove.”

Whether it’s in practice or the games, Woll has been locked in since returning from personal leave on Saturday. He has posted a .923 save percentage in three starts.

“I’ve had experience of coming into the season, either at the start a little bit late or in the middle of the season after injuries and stuff, so for me, I think that part of it’s comfortable,” the 27-year-old said. “And just kind of getting up to speed, I think I’ve been in the league for a little while, not a long time (smile), but a couple of years now, and I think I have an idea of my process, what I need away from the rink, at the rink type of thing, and that just allows me a bit more comfortable.”

With Stolarz out, the Leafs are looking to manage Woll’s workload, especially in practice. That’s not always easy considering Woll’s competitive nature.

“It’s hard for me to modulate,” Woll admits. “I like to just play and not think about it too much. But, you know, there’s reality and you got to be smart.”

What’s Woll like at practice?

“Ultra competitive,” said Nylander. “All the little rebounds and stuff, you know, sometimes you poke them in there and, he doesn’t get mad, but you can see that he’s competitive and wants to stop you the next time.”

Woll is 3-0-0 against the Canadiens in his career and won his first ever start at the Bell Centre last season.

“It’s a pretty cool spot to play,” he said. “Obviously, the fans are into it. Pretty cool building, so it’ll be exciting.”

Leafs Ice Chips: Woll stays hot in practice; robs Jarnkrok during PP rep Joseph Woll has looked good in his three starts since returning from his leave of absence and Calle Jarnkrok got a first-hand look at how hard it has been to beat Woll as the forward was denied by the netminder at Friday’s practice. TSN’s Mark Masters has more on Woll’s competitiveness in practice and the progress with the team’s power play.

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Lines at Friday’s practice:

Nylander – Tavares – Jarnkrok

McMann – Domi – Robertson

Lorentz – Laughton – Cowan

Joshua – Quillan – Maccelli

Knies, Matthews, Blais

Rielly – Ekman-Larsson

Benoit – McCabe

Mermis – Stecher

Myers

Woll

Hildeby

Power play units at Friday’s practice:

QB: Rielly

Flanks: Nylander, Cowan

Middle: Tavares

Net front: Jarnkrok

QB: Ekman-Larsson

Flanks: Domi, Maccelli

Middle: Robertson

Net front: McMann