Maple Leafs Are Surviving When the Chips Are Down

Last night’s Toronto Maple Leafs win against the St. Louis Blues was a night where the Maple Leafs limped into the game with seven players out. Yet, somehow, they walked away with a 3-2 overtime win that felt as much about endurance and clever management as it did about skill. Here, I’ll look at the way Toronto survived when the chips were down.

In a Close Game, There Were Big Maple Leafs’ Lessons

The last three Maple Leafs games have been a rollercoaster. After a blown lead and overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings and a tough loss in Chicago, where Toronto outplayed the Blackhawks in every measurable way but the scoreboard, the Maple Leafs are 1-1-1 over their recent stretch.

That’s not glamorous, but it tells you something important: hockey is rarely linear. Wins and losses in these middle-of-the-pack games are about more than star power; they’re about stamina, judgment, and mental focus. Last night, the Maple Leafs showed all three of those traits.

Berube’s Use of Ice-Time and Trust Showed that Coaching Decisions Matter

Coach Craig Berube’s ice-time allocations were quietly central to the win. Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each saw more than 24 minutes, and Rielly played one of his best games of the season. Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit hovered around 21 minutes. And the third pairing—Troy Stecher and Dakota Mermis—handled their roughly 14 minutes with poise. They stepped up where needed. Those minute allocations weren’t just numbers on a sheet—they were a statement of trust.

John Tavares and William Nylander carried heavy loads up front, but depth players also delivered. Rookie Easton Cowan, along with Bobby McMann and Calle Jarnkrok, provided subtle but crucial contributions. They didn’t light up the scoreboard, but they made plays that kept momentum alive and allowed the stars to shine when it mattered most.

And then there’s Joseph Woll, who stood tall in the net when the Blues pressed. His calm, assertive play and renewed confidence were as much a stabilizing factor as any forward scoring a goal. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t always show in stat sheets but shifts the energy in the room.

The Takeaway for the Maple Leafs

Last night’s game wasn’t about a single OT winner or highlight reel goal. It was about trust, adaptation, and a team showing it can survive—and sometimes even thrive—under pressure. The Maple Leafs might not be dominant yet, but nights like these remind you that resilience is measurable in ice time, effort, and the quiet victories of players who aren’t always the first names you see.