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Published Jan 21, 2026 • 3 minute read
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Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates after scoring his game-winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo by Frank Gunn /The Canadian PressArticle content
There is finally some separation in the Atlantic Division, but this time the defending regular season leading Maple Leafs are on the wrong end.
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With a 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, despite the best efforts of goalie Joseph Woll, the Leafs are nine and 10 points behind Detroit and Tampa Bay, respectively, still out of wild-card qualification for now.
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Our Takeaways on a tough result at Scotiabank Arena, dropping Toronto to 0-1-1 on this five-game home stand, their ninth extra-period loss, double last season’s total.
CREASE LIGHTNING
Coach Craig Berube made the right call on Woll, who made 39 saves before Dylan Larkin finished a 2-on-1 late in the extra period.
Woll bounced back from a couple of difficult outings, making key power play saves, one on J.D. Compher and a huge stop on Alex DeBrincat in the fourth period before Larkin’s strike.
“I love playing in front of Joe,” said defenceman Brandon Carlo. “We’re spoiled here in a way with good goalies (Woll, Dennis Hildeby, Anthony Stolarz) and being a defensive guy, I love communicating with them.”
Earlier Wednesday, Berube paid compliments to goalie coach Curtis Sanford, who has had five goalies in all pass through SBA so far this season. He has had to coax Woll back into shape after a month away for personal reasons, plus an injury deal with Stolarz’s two-month absence and get Hildeby NHL-ready.
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“He’s excellent,” Berube said of Sanford after a season and a half together. “He does a good job challenging them, Hildeby coming in as a young guy. We have to play better in front of them, but he expects excellence out of them to win us games.
“It’s a tough position from a mental standpoint, a lot of scrutiny on goalies. It can get to you. People expect a lot out of them, including us.”
OEL IS MIA
Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s ironman streak this season might be in jeopardy after he departed in the first period on Wednesday, getting knocked to the ice by Detroit’s Lucas Raymond.
Berube went to his standard comment of waiting for a morning evaluation of the lower body, though it’s a day off so it might be Friday until anyone knows if Philippe Myers will come back in the lineup. Myers was bumped for Simon Benoit on Wednesday for a second straight game.
Brandon Carlo thought himself and the remaining blueliners circled the wagons quite well, Jake McCabe playing more than 28 minutes.
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“We had short shifts and were not making bad decisions and the forwards helped there for us to change,” Carlo said.
“(Ekman-Larsson) means so much to us. He’s raised his game to a whole new level with his playmaking ability, his calmness and he has an amazing stick.”
Chris Tanev is still walking around the dressing room and training area, Berube saying no decision has been made yet on season-ending groin surgery as the 36-year-old keeps looking for a way to put it off and return at some point.
His long-term absence would make any lengthy absence of Ekman-Larsson a larger hole, but as Benoit said after the game, the schedule is so compacted this month, players have no choice but to play through pain.
SHOOT! LAUGHTON MISSES PENALTY SHOT
There’s a reason Scott Laughton has been used in only four shootout attempts in his career. But the centre had a chance to rectify that when a strong penalty killing shift resulted in him being harassed on a breakaway and getting a penalty shot.
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Unfortunately, his slow approach in on Detroit goalie John Gibson and rapid deke attempts at the end saw the puck roll off his stick.
“I’ve done that move before., that’s pretty much it,” a disappointed Laughton said. “I could probably shoot it there, but it’s easy to say once I watch it again. I should have faked a broken stick and let (Auston) Matthews go or something.”
Laughton did have the Leafs’ only goal, assisted by his energy line wingers Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok. They opened the game against Detroit’s second line and the dangerous Patrick Kane. The Leafs denied Kane any points in his quest to get two to tie Mike Modano for most by an American-born NHLer (1,374).
Lhornby@postmedia.com
X: @sunhornby
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