The Toronto Maple Leafs had everything going for them early on in their clash against the Nashville Predators — a two-goal lead, electric puck movement, and the crowd buzzing. But by the final buzzer, they were staring down a 5-2 loss and left wondering how it all fell apart. After the game, Leafs star Auston Matthews was blunt, especially when asked about Mitch Marner’s lone goal.
“(Ryan O’Reilly) is good in the dot. He’s strong,” Matthews said when recounting the goal setup. “So, I had to draw inside. I just tried to time it quick and make sure that (Marner) knew that I was trying to come to him and ended up working out. In the end, we lost. So, who cares?”
That quote alone tells the story. Yes, the goal was a textbook faceoff win — Matthews with the quick pull and dish, Marner with the finish — but it meant little in the grand scheme. The Leafs couldn’t hold their lead, and Nashville, led by Filip Forsberg’s three-point night and Luke Evangelista’s two helpers, stormed back with five unanswered goals.
A Wake-Up Call in the Atlantic Division Race
For Toronto, the defeat wasn’t just about a bad night — it was a missed opportunity to maintain control of the Atlantic Division. They had entered the game riding a three-game win streak and tied atop the standings with the Florida Panthers. But the mental errors, especially on defense, proved costly.
Head coach Craig Berube didn’t sugarcoat it either.
“I haven’t seen the mental mistakes like we made tonight in a while,” Berube said via NHL.com. “So we’ll look at it, we’ll discuss it with our team and go over things. And we’ll go over how we looked in the first period, too. Like I said, it’s a flip of the switch there for me.”
The “flip of the switch” is something Berube has talked about before — that dangerous drop-off in intensity that turns a dominant team into a vulnerable one. That switch flipped the wrong way against the Preds, and Toronto paid the price.
Leadership Tested as Leafs Seek Consistency
What makes this loss sting even more is how far Auston Matthews has come as a leader this season. Just days earlier, he was being praised for his fire and presence during a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Matthews had two power-play goals and an assist that night — but what stood out most wasn’t the stat line. It was the way he rallied his team before the puck even dropped.
“He grabbed ahold of the room,” said Berube, according to Maple Leafs Hot Stove. “It is not good enough what is going on here. He went out and talked, and then he walked. That is really what it boils down to. He went out and led the way with the work and compete that was needed at the start of the game.”
It’s the kind of leadership Toronto has long needed from its core stars. Matthews isn’t just scoring goals — he’s putting in the defensive work, setting the tone, and holding himself and his teammates accountable. NHL analyst Mike Johnson even pointed out that Matthews’ defense has been just as impactful as his offense this season, which says a lot when you’re talking about one of the league’s top scorers.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
With the playoffs inching closer, every game counts — and so does every lapse. The Leafs (42-25-3) are still neck and neck with the Panthers atop the Atlantic, but games like this one against Nashville can be costly in the long run.
They’ll have a chance to regroup quickly, facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers (28-34-9) on March 25 at 7:00 PM EDT. It’s a chance for redemption, a chance to show that leadership, and most importantly, a chance to prove the flip can switch back — in the right direction.
The Leafs have the talent. They have the leadership. But if they’re going to make a real run this spring, they’ll need to clean up the defensive breakdowns and stop letting games like this one slip away.
I am a writer with a passion for technology and gaming. I write about a variety of subjects, including Esports, Games, Shows, and Sports. I create engaging and informative content for Hiptoro.