The Toronto Maple Leafs had a little extra on the line when they hit the ice against the Florida Panthers last night. It wasn’t just another game on the schedule - it was the first time these two teams had faced off since the Panthers ended Toronto’s playoff run in heartbreaking fashion with a Game 7 win in the second round of the 2025 postseason.
Fast forward to the early stretch of the 2025-26 season, and both clubs have found themselves in similar territory: battling injuries, struggling to find consistency, and scrapping for points in a tight Eastern Conference race. That’s what made this matchup so important - two teams trying to claw their way back into playoff relevance before the calendar flips to 2026.
Let’s break down what stood out from a game that might just be a turning point for the Leafs.
Third Line Sparks the Leafs
Talk about a shake-up that worked. Just days ago, Dakota Joshua was watching from the press box as a healthy scratch.
Last night, he was front and center in one of the most impactful performances we’ve seen from a Maple Leafs third line in quite some time. Joshua, Nicolas Roy, and Bobby McMann not only brought energy - they took over stretches of the game.
Joshua now has goals in back-to-back games since rejoining the lineup, and this newly formed trio is quickly becoming a go-to group for head coach Craig Berube when the Leafs need a jolt. Their chemistry was on full display early, helping generate the game’s opening goal off a point shot from Troy Stecher. But it didn’t stop there.
The second goal was a textbook example of what a hard-working shift can produce. Roy won a key faceoff, chipped the puck to Joshua, and he and McMann took off.
Joshua handled the puck with confidence, found space, and beat Sergei Bobrovsky to make it 2-0. That line combined for four points on the night - McMann and Joshua doing the damage on the scoresheet, and Roy quietly driving possession and making smart plays all over the ice.
It’s early, but this line is giving Toronto something it’s been missing: a bottom-six unit that can tilt the ice and chip in offensively. If they keep this up, they’ll be a major factor in how this season unfolds.
Leafs Flip the Script on the Panthers
One of the biggest knocks on the Leafs this season has been their inability to hold leads. Too often, they’ve come out strong, only to unravel late - especially in the third period. But last night, they flipped the script and beat the Panthers at their own game.
After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, Toronto settled into a tight-checking, structured style that looked eerily similar to the way Florida has frustrated them in the past. When Sam Reinhart cut the lead in half late in the second, it felt like the kind of moment that’s undone the Leafs before. But not this time.
Instead of retreating into a shell or panicking under pressure, Toronto stayed composed. They stuck to their system, kept the game simple, and capitalized when the chances came. Two third-period goals - including an empty-netter from John Tavares after some gritty work from Max Domi and Auston Matthews - sealed the win.
It was the kind of mature, team-first effort that’s been missing for long stretches this season. And what’s most encouraging is that it wasn’t just the stars doing the heavy lifting - it was the depth players, the grinders, the guys who don’t always get the headlines. That kind of buy-in, especially from the bottom-six, is what can change the trajectory of a season.
Looking Ahead
Toronto wraps up its road trip with a visit to Raleigh for a Thursday night tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. When this trip started, there were whispers that it could be the stretch that buried their season. Instead, the Leafs are 3-2 heading into the final stop, with a chance to finish the trip 4-2 - a result that would have looked pretty ambitious just a week ago.
After that, they return home to face the Montreal Canadiens - a rivalry game that always brings the energy, no matter where either team sits in the standings.
If the Leafs can keep building on the identity they’ve shown in these last two games - structured, defensively responsible, and getting meaningful contributions from every line - they’ll be in a position to climb the standings in a hurry. The pieces are starting to click. Now it’s about consistency and keeping the momentum rolling.