Honestly, if you turned off the TV with ten minutes left in the third, I don't blame you. It looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs had it in the bag. They were up 5-3. The vibes were high. Then, well, Las Vegas happened.
The Vegas Golden Knights walked away with a chaotic 6-5 overtime victory last night, January 15, 2026. It was a heartbreaker for anyone wearing blue and white. Jack Eichel buried the winner at 2:44 of the extra frame, finishing off a comeback that felt both improbable and, if you’re a long-time Leafs fan, strangely familiar.
Toronto really let this one slip through their fingers at T-Mobile Arena.
The Night Everything Went Sideways
The first period was a total dream. Morgan Rielly opened the scoring just two minutes in. Then William Nylander tucked one away to make it 2-0. Even when Pavel Dorofeyev pulled one back for Vegas on the power play, Auston Matthews answered right back. 3-1 Toronto.
You’d think a two-goal lead in a hostile building would be enough to settle the nerves. It wasn't.
The problem started early when William Nylander—who has been an absolute monster this season with 48 points—went down with a lower-body injury. He didn't come back. Losing your leading scorer in the first ten minutes is a gut punch. Suddenly, the bench felt short. The lines got scrambled.
A Quick Breakdown of the Scoring
- 1st Period: Rielly (TOR), Nylander (TOR), Dorofeyev (VGK), Matthews (TOR).
- 2nd Period: Keegan Kolesar (VGK) cuts the lead; John Tavares (TOR) restores it.
- 3rd Period: The collapse. Dorofeyev scores again. Scott Laughton makes it 5-3 for Toronto.
- The Final Minutes: Mark Stone scores with ten minutes left. Tomas Hertl ties it with seven seconds on the clock.
- Overtime: Jack Eichel calls game.
Why the Leafs Lost This One
People are going to point fingers at Joseph Woll, and yeah, giving up six goals on 33 shots isn't exactly a Vezina-caliber night. But the defense in front of him was porous.
Vegas currently leads the NHL in comeback wins when trailing in the third period. They’ve done it eight times this year. They don't panic. Toronto, on the other hand, looked like they were just trying to survive the final five minutes instead of actually playing hockey.
Then there’s the Mitch Marner factor.
Seeing Marner in a Golden Knights jersey still feels wrong to a lot of people in Ontario. He was traded last summer in that massive sign-and-trade deal, and last night, he looked like he had something to prove. He notched two assists against his former club. Every time he touched the puck, you could feel the tension. He played 22 minutes and was a constant thorn in Toronto's side.
What This Means for the Standings
Despite the loss, Toronto did walk away with a point. They are now 23-16-8. That's not terrible, but they’ve developed this nasty habit of blowing multi-goal leads. In the Atlantic Division, you can't afford to leave points on the table like that.
Vegas, meanwhile, is the hottest team in the West. That was their sixth straight win. They have 58 points now and look like a legitimate Cup contender again.
The Injury Watch
The biggest story moving forward isn't the score—it's William Nylander’s health. If he’s out for a significant amount of time, the Leafs are in trouble. They are already thin on the wings after the Marner trade. Coach Craig Berube didn't have much of an update post-game, basically saying they'll know more after the team flies to Winnipeg.
What's Next for the Buds
The road trip continues. Toronto has to shake this off quickly because they’re headed to Manitoba to face the Jets on Saturday night. If they play the same kind of "prevent defense" they showed in the third period last night, it's going to be another long flight home.
If you're looking to track the recovery or see if the lines change:
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- Monitor the injury report specifically for Nylander’s "lower-body" status today.
- Check the goaltending rotation; Anthony Stolarz might get the nod in Winnipeg to give Woll a reset.
- Keep an eye on the January 23rd rematch; Vegas comes to Toronto next Friday, and the atmosphere at Scotiabank Arena is going to be electric (and probably a bit salty).
The Leafs are still a good team, but last night was a reminder that in 2026, no lead is safe against a team with the depth of Vegas. Focus on the Winnipeg game—it’s the perfect "prove it" opportunity.