On New Year’s Day, the Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off one of their most memorable comebacks of the season, storming back from a 4-1 deficit to edge out the Winnipeg Jets 6-5. Fast forward to Saturday night, and the script felt familiar-different night, same resilience. Down 3-1 midway through the third, the Leafs rallied once again, this time capping it off with a 4-3 overtime win to sweep the season series against Winnipeg.
The first two periods offered little in the way of fireworks. The Jets got on the board with goals from Alex Iafallo and Kyle Connor, while Auston Matthews answered for Toronto with his usual sniper’s touch. It was a tight-checking, low-event 40 minutes, but the third period brought the drama.
Winnipeg struck early in the final frame to stretch their lead to 3-1, putting Toronto on the ropes. But the Leafs didn’t blink.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who’s quietly putting together one of the best offensive seasons of his career, cut the lead in half with a blast from the point. Then, with just under five minutes left in regulation, Bobby McMann got a piece of another Ekman-Larsson shot, redirecting it past Connor Hellebuyck to tie things up at 3-3.
The Jets nearly stole it in the dying minutes. With Toronto killing a late penalty, a rebound landed right in front of Dennis Hildeby, and Jonathan Toews nearly cashed in-pinging the inside of the post before the puck was cleared away in the chaos. It was a heart-stopping moment, but the Leafs survived.
In overtime, Toronto took control. Auston Matthews, already with a goal to his name, set the table with a slick feed to Max Domi, who buried the game-winner to seal the comeback. It was a fitting finish for a night where both Matthews and Domi were in the thick of the action, each notching a goal and an assist.
But the standout performance belonged to Ekman-Larsson. The veteran Swede finished with a goal and two assists, continuing what’s been a quietly dominant campaign from the blue line. He now leads all Toronto defensemen in both goals (8) and points (31) through 48 games-a remarkable turnaround for a player many had written off not long ago.
This win wasn’t just about the comeback-it was about timing. The Jets have been one of the hotter teams in the league lately, playing with structure and confidence. For the Leafs to walk away with two wins in two tries against Winnipeg, especially with the second coming in their barn and in comeback fashion, says a lot about where this Toronto team is mentally.
As for the Jets, they’ll have to wait until next season for another crack at the Leafs. And for Mark Scheifele-who’s made it no secret how much he enjoys beating Toronto-that wait probably feels a little too long.