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Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

3 Reasons For the Maple Leafs’ Recent Turnaround

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Marc Sautter | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 2:25 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs head into a challenging road trip riding a nine-game point streak and a 7-1-3 record in their last 10 games. Energy is high, and everything is coming up Maple Leafs since the Christmas break.

On Dec. 21, the Maple Leafs lost 5-1 to the Dallas Stars in a game where they were the better team for much of it. However, their play in the two and a half months leading up to that contest caused fans to lose all faith. But since then, Toronto has put themselves back in the playoff mix after their most impressive stretch of hockey of the campaign.

Of course, we can’t have nice things, and we have to wonder if this is a legit turnaround or just a hot streak. However, what’s led to the change is sustainable and should be a sign of what’s to come.

Auston Matthews Is Leading the Way

The Maple Leafs’ successes and failures begin with Auston Matthews, especially without long-time teammate Mitch Marner, and he was under the gun after the team’s disappointing start to the season.

Until Dec. 21, Matthews had 14 goals and 23 points in 30 games – not terrible, but he is held to a higher standard. Maybe it was due to the recent string of injuries, or maybe he was simply getting used to playing without Marner, but early on, he didn’t look like his dominant self.

In the eight games since, Matthews has seven goals and 12 points, returning to his game-breaking form that we all know and expect. Look, Matthews can’t do it by himself. Depth scoring has been an issue, among other things, but he has to lead the way and break games open. That’s exactly what he’s been doing in the last three weeks.

Maple Leafs Special Teams Are Dominating

It was a hot topic when Toronto fired assistant coach Marc Savard right before Christmas. He was in charge of the power play, and through 35 games (Dec. 21), the Maple Leafs ranked last in the NHL with a 13.3% success rate. Even without Marner, that number was unacceptable, given the team’s talent, and Savard paid the price. Was he a scapegoat? Certainly. But a message was sent, and the team listened.

During this nine-game streak, the Maple Leafs are third in the league at 35%, and it’s not just the production. Even when they don’t score, their power play is more threatening than earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, the penalty kill has been great all season. The team ranks third in the NHL at 85.3%, and is only 0.3% behind the top-ranked Colorado Avalanche. During this streak, the Maple Leafs are first in the league at 95.2%, and 5.2% ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, who are second.

Good special teams can mask issues at 5-on-5, just like bad special teams can put a spotlight on those issues. Right now, everything is working, which has helped turn the season around.

Toronto Team Effort In the Crease

After that 5-1 loss to the Stars, the Maple Leafs were 25th in the NHL in goals against, averaging 3.34 per game. Between Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll, and the defence dealing with injuries to the goalies and the team not playing well, there was a lot of blame to go around.

Since that loss, the team ranks sixth with 2.44 goals allowed. Again, there are multiple reasons for this, and team defence has been much better, but the netminders deserve the spotlight here. Overall, the numbers have been quite good for Woll and Dennis Hildeby, who are minding the crease in Stolarz’s absence.

For the season, Woll is 10-4-2, with a .921 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA). Hildeby is 4-5-4, with a .916 SV% and a 2.74 GAA. Their stats have been steady. Except for one category. Wins. Before this streak, Woll had five wins, and Hildeby had two. They’ve continued to be solid between the pipes, but now, their teammates are finally rewarding them for their efforts.

Maple Leafs Rounding Into Form at the Right Time

The Maple Leafs are now 22-15-7 and have lifted themselves out of the basement of the Eastern Conference, sitting one point back of the second wild-card spot, and seven points back of the division lead. It’s been a great run, and it should be celebrated, and it’s come at the right time.

The Maple Leafs start a four-game road trip on Monday against the Avalanche. They play the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, and the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. That’s four games in six nights.

After that, they return to Scotiabank Arena for five games before heading back out west. During those five games, they will welcome the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Golden Knights, Avalanche, and the Buffalo Sabres. Right now, we can celebrate this stretch. The Maple Leafs deserve it, and we deserve it. But this road trip, and the following home stand, will show us what is a legit improvement and what isn’t.