Maple Leafs tie 2021-22 Lightning with unique accomplishment

Originally posted on TheLeafsnation | By Alex Hobson | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 8:10 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes on their first shot of the game Thursday night. In doing so, the Maple Leafs became the second team since the 2009-10 season to score on the first shot against their opponent in four consecutive games. We wanted to get to it quickly as the record was simply too long to put in the title.

Bobby McMann scored in the first minute of the game off a one-timer from Nicolas Roy, with the puck sneaking through Frederik Andersen and ever so slightly crossing the goal line. The previous three first-shot first-goals came courtesy of Troy Stecher against the Florida Panthers, Oliver Ekman-Larsson against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Morgan Rielly against the Washington Capitals. The Maple Leafs’ social media account was evidently aware of this, as well.

Teams hate to see the Leafs first shot of the game coming@OREO | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/bodsS79DG3

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 5, 2025

The Lightning are the only other team to do so since 2009-10, and their streak came between November 20 and November 2026, 2021. Theirs featured goals from a unique group including Jan Rutta, Anthony Cirelli, Zach Bogosian, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

McMann’s goal came amidst a hot streak for the team’s new third line , featuring McMann, Roy, and Dakota Joshua. Over the last three games, the line has combined for 11 points – five from McMann, and three apiece from Roy and Joshua. The hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time for all parties, as each player on the line had been battling their own struggles as the Maple Leafs as a whole struggled to string any positive momentum together. With the uptick in production, they’re starting to earn some confidence and it’s helped propel their team to a couple of wins, too.

This is one of those stats that will be forgotten by most tomorrow and will generate more eye-rolls than jaw-drops, but that’s the beauty of the game. There’s always a milestone you didn’t know existed.

This article first appeared on TheLeafsnation and was syndicated with permission.

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