The Toronto Maple Leafs just wrapped up a Western Canada road trip that might end up being the turning point of their season. With three straight wins, capped by a 5-2 statement victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, the Leafs are suddenly within striking distance-just five points back-of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
And they didn’t just beat any team. They took down an Oilers squad that’s been a staple in the Stanley Cup Final the past two years, and they did it on the second night of a back-to-back.
Edmonton, meanwhile, came in rested, having not played since Saturday. That context matters-and it makes Toronto’s performance all the more impressive.
The tone was set early, and it was clear the Leafs came in with purpose.
“I think we played a solid game. We had the right mindset coming into the game,” said forward Matias Maccelli, who’s quietly starting to heat up. “We executed and stayed patient.”
Maccelli was more than just solid-he scored twice, bringing his season totals to 10 goals and 14 assists in 46 games. It’s a welcome surge from the 25-year-old, who spent parts of the early season watching from the press box.
Now, he’s got goals in back-to-back games and four points in his last five. That’s the kind of secondary scoring the Leafs have been desperate for.
“It’s nice,” Maccelli said of his recent run. “I had a little bit of a stretch there with the puck not going in, just hitting the posts and the goalies making great saves.
It happens, you’ve got to stick with it. Now obviously it’s going well, so I’ve got to keep going.”
Consistency in net has also been a storyline on this road trip, and Tuesday it was Anthony Stolarz’s turn to shine. He stopped 34 of 36 shots, picking up his seventh win of the season and giving Toronto the stability they needed against a high-powered Oilers offense.
“It could have been a different game, obviously, if Stolarz didn’t make all those great saves,” Maccelli said. “He played lights out tonight.”
That’s two nights in a row where the Leafs got top-tier goaltending. In a season where defensive lapses and inconsistent netminding have haunted them, that kind of performance is a breath of fresh air-and maybe a sign that things are finally clicking.
Then there’s the power play, or more specifically, the lack of opportunities lately. The Leafs had gone nearly three games without a single power play chance, a rare drought in today’s NHL.
But when they finally got their chances Tuesday-just two of them-they cashed in both times. One came on a 5-on-3, the other a 5-on-4, and both were pivotal in pushing the game out of reach.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career, almost three games without a power play opportunity,” Maccelli said. “Obviously, we got 5-on-3 and 5-on-4 goals there, so it feels good and gives us good momentum on the power play.”
That’s the kind of efficiency you want to see from a team trying to claw its way back into the playoff picture. And make no mistake-the Leafs are still in the thick of it. This three-game win streak didn’t just salvage a road trip; it might’ve saved their season.
“This road trip was big for us. We needed the points and needed wins,” Maccelli said. “I think we did a great job and put ourselves in the best possible spot heading into the break.”
There’s still work to be done, but for the first time in a while, the Leafs are showing signs of life. They’re getting contributions from up and down the lineup, the goaltending is holding up, and the power play found its groove again. With the playoff race heating up, Toronto just might be getting hot at the right time.