Apr 13, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially reached the end of the most grueling stretch in their season — and they’ve done so by earning their 50th win of the year.
With a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night, the Leafs capped off a back-to-back sweep on the weekend that also included a tight 1-0 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. More importantly, the win pushed Toronto to 104 points on the season (50-26-4), leaving them just one point shy of securing the Atlantic Division crown with two games remaining.
It’s quite the accomplishment, considering Toronto had one of the NHL’s most demanding schedules this year.
The Leafs, along with the Hurricanes, led the league with 16 sets of back-to-back games this season — a grind that tested the team down the stretch. Toronto emerged from that gauntlet with a 10-4-2 record in those situations, a mark head coach Craig Berube was proud of.
“I'm proud of the group for how they responded this year. I think our record was 10-4-2, maybe on back-to-backs this year. Pretty good record,” said Berube post-game. “Tough a lot of times with the travel and where you're at and everything. So, guys have done a good job of being smart, playing the right way, and defending and not opening it up too much.”
It also helps that the Leafs have two reliable goaltenders in Anthony Stolarz, who started Saturday against Montreal, and Joseph Woll, who took the crease on Sunday in Carolina against the Hurricanes. The duo has provided steady play and split duties in a strong rotation during the season’s busiest stretches.
“I think it's been a good back and forth, and I think different times of the year, we both kind of stepped up when we needed, and I think that's pretty awesome,” Woll explained on Sunday. “I think we have two guys that are able to play and help the team. It's pretty nice. He's a hell of a goalie, so I'm just happy to be out there with him.”
It’s also impressive considering the circumstances in which travel was required the night following a home game or vice versa. The grind of the schedule has forced the Leafs to be strategic with their time and workload. Since returning from the holiday break and the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February, Toronto has managed its practices with plenty of optional skates and maintenance days to keep players fresh.
Morgan Rielly reflected on how far the team has come through the most demanding part of the calendar and how the results stem from a group effort.
“I think if you go back a few months to the end of January, I think the schedule was a little daunting, and I thought our guys did a great job,” said Rielly post-game. “Not complaining about it too much. Just taking it as we go and hard work. Our training staff has helped a lot. Our coaching staff has been great. So it's been a real group effort.”
“Yeah, I think it's nice to know that back-to-backs are over and go from here,” added forward William Nylander.
The Leafs have been no strangers to low-event hockey of late; they've grown comfortable grinding out tight, one-goal games. Again, on Sunday, for example, there were just 25 shots between the two teams after two periods. Sunday night’s victory may not have been the most exciting, but it represented a team that’s built habits it will need in the playoffs to succeed.
Now, the focus shifts to the final week of the regular season. With games remaining on Tuesday and Thursday, the Leafs need just one point or for the Tampa Bay Lightning to drop one to clinch the division and set up a first-round matchup against the Ottawa Senators in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The real test of the post-season is set to begin the following weekend, but the Leafs have successfully weathered the regular season storm.
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