At the start of the week, the Toronto Maple Leafs entered Week 15 with some challenges ahead, as they looked to get back in the win column. After a tough 4-1 regulation defeat to the Stars Dallas, which put the Leafs in position to drop four straight in regulation for the first time since 2019, they snapped their losing skid with back-to-back wins to finish the week. Toronto roared back with a 4-3 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils, then followed up with an electric 7-3 comeback win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
3rd star: Mitch Marner
Week 15 stats: 3 GP – 0 G – 5 A – 5 PTS
Season stats: 47 GP – 14 G – 50 A – 64 PTS
As every game passes by, it’s becoming more difficult to write new superlatives about Mitch Marner and the season he is having. Not only is the 27-year-old leading his team in points and assists while averaging the most time on ice among all players, but he is among the league leaders with 64 points and ranks second in the NHL with 50 assists — six behind the reigning Hart Trophy winner, Nathan MacKinnon.
Thanks to two more multi-point efforts last week, Marner produced five points (all assists) in three games, helping him climb the league leaderboards and the franchise’s all-time assist list. With his assist on Auston Matthews’ third-period goal on Saturday night, Marner passed Dave Keon on the franchise’s all-time assist list with 494. He added a second assist minutes later, giving him 495 helpers, which now puts him 33 away from overtaking Darryl Sittler for third all-time.
2nd star: William Nylander
Week 15 stats: 3 GP – 3 G – 1 A – 4 PTS
Season stats: 47 GP – 27 G – 21 A – 48 PTS
Before Week 15, it was a rough stretch for William Nylander, who had just one goal in his previous ten games dating back to December 23rd. He was held without a point in their 4-1 loss to Dallas to start last week but ended strong with four points (three goals and an assist, cumulatively) against New Jersey and Montreal.
He recorded his sixth multi-goal game this season last Thursday against the Devils after tying the game, 1-1, and scoring the overtime winner after a sweet stretch pass from Mitch Marner. He also added an assist on Auston Matthews’ third-period goal, giving him four three-point games this season.
Entering Saturday night’s contest against the Canadiens, Nylander’s last two goals were either a game-tying goal or a game-winner, and that didn’t stop over the weekend. As his team began the third period down 3-2, the 28-year-old tied the game with a terrific solo effort, beating Lane Hutson in a race and outmuscling the rookie just 24 seconds into the final period.
1st star: Auston Matthews
Week 15 stats: 3 GP – 4 G – 0 A – 4 PTS
Season stats: 32 GP – 18 G – 17 A – 35 PTS
Maple Leafs fans have been waiting for Auston Matthews to return to elite form, which he’s shown in flashes, due to two injury stints this season. After returning on January 4th against the Boston Bruins, he has produced at an elite rate, scoring at a 72-goal pace over 82 games.
With the team coming off two consecutive regulation losses to end Week 14, they needed their best players to rise to the occasion. Although they dropped a third straight game, Matthews found the back of the net and continued that throughout the week. He recorded just his second multi-goal game of the season against New Jersey and followed that up with another goal against Montreal.
His four-goal week suddenly gives him 18 tallies on the season in 32 games, which ties him for the 34th most in the league. Despite being 15 goals back of Leon Draisaitl for the league lead, we can never count out Matthews and his ability to score goals in bunches.
