The Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames snapped ugly losing streaks on Saturday, so tonight’s contest asks a simple question: which team can grab some momentum before the week gets away from them?
Toronto got a boost on Saturday when William Nylander returned to the lineup and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat after seven games out with a groin injury. Even without a point against the Vancouver Canucks, he made the defining play of the night. His backhand score in the shootout reminded everybody of the damage he does when he’s rolling. Before the injury, he was on a tear, piling up a dozen points in six games and leading the team in assists and points.
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Matthews continues to do the heavy lifting. He botched a penalty shot in overtime, then calmly buried his shootout attempt. Max Domi is on a five-game point streak and has already shown he likes playing the Flames. He put up a two-goal game in October. If Anthony Stolarz gets the start, Toronto will need the same kind of composed third period they showed against the Canucks. Woll called it a “playoff mindset,” and honestly, they probably need that for every game from here on out.
Item One: Max Domi’s Game Is Earning His Bigger Role
Max Domi has become one of Toronto’s steadiest forwards over the last couple of weeks. Every line he touches seems to work a little cleaner, and he’s not just buzzing around—he’s producing. His goal in Vancouver made him look settled into who he is on this team, and that makes him a real option for more responsibility.
Max Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates scoring an overtime winning goal with his teammates during Game 2 of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators.
(Photo by Thomas Skrlj/NHLI via Getty Images)
The coaching staff now has decisions to make. Secondary scoring has been patchy, and Domi is one of the few players consistently pushing the pace. Whether it’s power-play time or more nights in the top six, there’s a natural argument to give him a little more leash.
Item Two: Fraser Minten’s Award Reopens an Ugly Trade Debate
Fraser Minten grabbing Rookie of the Month honours is exactly the kind of thing Maple Leafs fans were bracing for. The trade that shipped Minten and a first-rounder to the Boston Bruins for Brandon Carlo last March felt risky the day it was made. Now it’s simply tilting the wrong way.
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Minten has 14 goals and 29 points in 55 games. He plays a dependable two-way style and looks like the kind of center you want to keep, not move. To put it into context, the Maple Leafs have only four players sitting above the 14-goal mark this season: Matthews (26), John Tavares (19), Nylander (17), and Bobby McMann (17).
Fraser Minten, when he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Carlo’s had a rough go—criticized for a soft season, overwhelmed in spots, and sitting at just four points in 32 games. That doesn’t mean he won’t rebound, but right now the comparison is about as flattering as fluorescent lighting. Many fans believe that Toronto got fleeced, and Minten’s 14 points in his last 14 games only sharpen that point. It’s early, but the optics aren’t pretty.
Item Three: Easton Cowan’s Scratch Isn’t a Punishment, Is It?
Easton Cowan, sitting out against the Canucks, wasn’t a punishment so much as a pause. He started the year full of spark, making the team out of junior and showing all kinds of promise. But the grind caught up. His speed wasn’t popping the same way, the puck touches weren’t as clean, and the confidence plays that defined his early months weren’t showing up.
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and that makes sense. When a young player starts thinking instead of reacting, that swagger disappears fast. Cowan also isn’t playing with the same kind of support he had earlier. Skating beside Tavares and Nylander gave him many opportunities; anchoring a fourth-line checking role strips away much of his offensive freedom.
Easton Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
For now, the Maple Leafs need structure more than development, and that affects where a player like Cowan fits. Let’s hope he comes out with renewed fire in his belly and shows that this little setback is only a small part of the learning curve.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Flames have a losing record, but they bring speed, aggression, and a nasty shorthanded threat in Joel Farabee. He seems able to score in every possible situation. Morgan Frost has also started to find his game again. The Maple Leafs can’t feed Calgary’s transition game or give the Flames turnovers when they’re playing with the man advantage. The Flames can counter.
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After tonight, the Maple Leafs visit the Oilers in Edmonton on Tuesday, a matchup that always carries a little extra juice. And then comes the long exhale—the Olympic break. They’re off until Feb. 25, when they jump right back into the fire with a back-to-back in Florida. It’s a tough stretch, but maybe that’s exactly the kind of challenge the team needs right now.
