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Maple Leafs Quick Hits: Records, Retreats, and a Familiar Finish

Auston Matthews sets a franchise record, but can the Leafs finally hold a lead in the third, or is history repeating itself?

by
Old Prof
January 4, 2026

Saturday night’s Toronto Maple Leafs overtime 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders had the bones of something memorable. A franchise record. A second-period surge. A chance to close things out at home. Instead, it ended the way too many Maple Leafs games have ended this season — with a lead slipping away, a third period spent reacting instead of dictating, and a single point that felt lighter than it should’ve.

There’s no mystery in how this one turned. The Maple Leafs didn’t do enough with the puck when it mattered most, and the Islanders were more than happy to take the space that was offered.

Quick Hit One: The Maple Leafs Second-Period Peak, Then a Third-Period Retreat

Toronto was in control in the second. Auston Matthews scored twice, breaking Mats Sundin’s franchise goal record and giving the Maple Leafs a 2–1 lead that felt deserved. The building was alive. The moment was big. Everything was set up.

Then the third period happened.

Craig Berube didn’t mince words afterward. The Maple Leafs sat back. They didn’t have the puck enough. They stopped playing on their toes and let the Islanders push the game back toward them. It’s been a theme this season — sitting on a lead instead of leaning into it. They’ve only won 10 of 16 when up after two, and that starts to tell its own story.

Auston Matthews set the all-time Maple Leafs record for goals last night.

Quick Hit Two: Matthews Drives, Everyone Else Feeds

Lost in the frustration is just how strong Matthews’ game has been lately. Two goals, constant pressure, and another reminder of what this team looks like when he’s fully engaged. Berube said it plainly: Matthews drives the bus. The skating is there. The physicality is there. He’s winning battles and dragging the game into uncomfortable areas.

The record’s nice — 421 goals, faster to 400 than Ovechkin — but that’s not the story. The story is how Matthews is attacking the game. When he does that, the Leafs change. They couldn’t hold it.

Quick Hit Three: Rielly, Robertson, and the Fine Line

Morgan Rielly finished minus-four on the night, and Berube wasn’t worried. One rough game doesn’t erase a strong season, and this felt more like a night where things snowballed than something structural. Some fans are starting to get frustrated with Rielly, which could become a talking point in the future.

On the flip side, Robertson had a big moment. That go-ahead goal in the third was important, and it keeps showing he’s settling in. Even if the game got away, that counts.

Joseph Woll probably wishes he’d frozen the puck in overtime. Berube said as much. These moments add up.

Final Thought About the Maple Leafs

The Leafs got a point. They could’ve had two. That’s the story.

They face Florida next, and that’s not a team you can sit back against. If Toronto wants different results, the third period has to start looking a lot more like the second — records or no records.