Toronto Maple Leafs snap three-game losing streak against Pittsburgh Penguins December 23 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally found their offensive spark just in time for the holidays, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night. The victory ended a frustrating three-game losing streak that saw the Leafs outscored 14-4 during a disastrous road trip. Max Domi emerged as the unlikely hero, breaking a 23-game goalless drought with the tie-breaking marker midway through the third period.

William Nylander led the offensive charge with a four-point performance, snapping his own 11-game goalless skid in the process. The win improved Toronto’s record to 16-15-5, providing a much-needed boost of confidence heading into Christmas and positioning them more favorably in the tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.

How domi and nylander broke their slumps when Maple Leafs needed them most

The turning point arrived with 8:25 remaining in regulation. Domi collected the puck in his own zone, accelerated through neutral ice with speed, and executed a dazzling individual effort. He deked around Pittsburgh’s Brett Kulak at the top of the left face-off circle before firing a precise shot past Stuart Skinner’s blocker side. The goal gave Toronto a 4-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“That was nasty, flying, dipsy-doodling. It was a huge goal for us too,” Nylander told reporters after the game. Domi’s celebration reflected the magnitude of the moment, both for himself and a team desperate for any positive momentum. His assist on Nylander’s empty-net goal gave him a two-point night, his first multi-point game since early November.

Nylander’s breakout performance was equally significant. He opened the scoring midway through the first period by intercepting a Kevin Hayes pass at the defensive blue line and converting on a breakaway with a backhand deke. The Maple Leafs winger added another empty-net goal late and contributed two assists, including the secondary helper on Domi’s winner. His four-point night marked his first points since early December and pushed him past Auston Matthews for fourth-most game-winning contributions in franchise history with 117.

Three-game losing streak ends with improved defensive structure

The difference between Tuesday’s performance and the previous three games was stark. During their skid, the Maple Leafs appeared disorganized defensively and couldn’t buy a goal offensively. Coach Craig Berube acknowledged the obvious improvement: “I thought our game got better after the first (period). Second period was really good. We scored tonight. That’s the difference. We scored goals tonight.”

Joseph Woll delivered a steady performance in net, making 29 saves to earn his sixth win in 11 starts. His crucial stop on Anthony Mantha late in the first period, after teammate Chris Tanev had given the puck away behind the net, kept the score at 2-1 and prevented Pittsburgh from seizing momentum. “I gave someone a Christmas present in front,” Tanev admitted. “Luckily Joe snagged it away.”

The defensive unit, anchored by Jake McCabe’s career-high plus-5 rating, limited high-danger chances after a shaky opening frame. The return of Chris Tanev after missing 23 games with an upper-body injury provided an emotional and tactical lift. Tanev had been stretchered off the ice on November 1 following a collision with Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov, making his comeback particularly meaningful.

Penguins struggle continues despite sidney crosby milestone

Pittsburgh’s woes deepened with the defeat, extending their stretch to 1-5-4 in their last 10 games. The Penguins appeared to take an early lead when Justin Brazeau jammed home a rebound, but Toronto successfully challenged for goaltender interference, with officials determining Brazeau had pushed Woll’s pad before scoring.

Sidney Crosby contributed an assist on Bryan Rust’s first-period goal, giving him 1,080 career assists and moving him past Adam Oates into eighth place on the NHL’s all-time list. Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for Pittsburgh, but defensive breakdowns proved costly.

“We didn’t play a bad game by any means,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “We just got punished when we made big mistakes, and that’s what a good team does to you sometimes. They did that to us today. Tough loss, one that probably looks a little more lopsided on the score sheet than it actually was.”

Coach Dan Muse pointed to puck management issues: “The chances we gave up were big ones. There was a lot we could have controlled to not allow those type of chances, and it ended up factoring in in a big way in the game.” The Penguins fired 32 shots but couldn’t solve Woll when it mattered most, dropping to 15-12-9 on the season.

Key moments that defined the December 23 matchup

The game’s trajectory shifted multiple times, with several pivotal sequences determining the final outcome:

• Disallowed goal (7:26, 1st period): Pittsburgh thought they had opened the scoring, but Toronto’s challenge revealed goaltender interference, maintaining the 0-0 score.
• Nylander’s breakaway (9:07, 1st period): The winger’s defensive play and subsequent backhand goal gave Toronto a lead and signaled his personal breakout.
• Lorentz’s theft (7:38, 2nd period): Steven Lorentz stole the puck from Karlsson in the defensive zone and converted on a breakaway, extending the lead to 3-1.
• Mantha’s equalizer (1:00, 3rd period): Pittsburgh briefly tied the game early in the third, setting up Domi’s heroics.
• Domi’s winner (11:35, 3rd period): The decisive goal that snapped both personal and team slumps simultaneously.

The Maple Leafs added two empty-net goals in the final minutes to inflate the score, with Bobby McMann and Nylander sealing the victory. The win marked Toronto’s third triumph over Pittsburgh this season, demonstrating their ability to match up well against the struggling Penguins.

Implications for Toronto’s playoff positioning

Tuesday’s victory carries significant weight beyond just ending a losing streak. The Maple Leafs entered the Christmas break with renewed optimism and critical momentum. Their 16-15-5 record keeps them within striking distance of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, where points are at a premium in the competitive Atlantic Division.

The timing of the breakthrough performances from Domi and Nylander couldn’t be better. Both players had been under intense scrutiny during their respective droughts, with questions mounting about their roles and productivity. Domi’s 23-game goalless stretch represented a career-worst period, while Nylander’s 11-game slump had fans concerned about his $8.5 million cap hit.

Assistant coach Marc Savard was fired just a day before this game after the Maple Leafs’ power play ranked worst in the NHL at 12-for-90 with four short-handed goals against. While Toronto went 0-for-2 with the man advantage against Pittsburgh, the overall offensive awakening suggests new assistant Derek Lalonde’s message is resonating. The team will need that power play to improve significantly in the second half to secure a playoff berth.

Looking ahead: What’s next for both teams

The Maple Leafs now prepare for a Saturday matchup against the Ottawa Senators, a division rival against whom they’ve had mixed results this season. The emotional lift from snapping their skid should provide confidence, but consistency remains the primary challenge. General manager Brad Treliving has publicly backed coach Craig Berube twice this season, indicating organizational patience despite the roller-coaster performance.

For the Penguins, the road doesn’t get easier. Their 1-5-4 stretch has dropped them toward the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, and they travel to Chicago on Sunday to face a rebuilding but dangerous Blackhawks team. Pittsburgh’s struggles have coincided with the December 15 trade that brought Stuart Skinner from Edmonton to replace the injured Tristan Jarry. Skinner has yet to win in three starts, allowing 12 goals.

The Penguins’ veteran core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang remains productive, but depth scoring and defensive consistency plague this team. If Pittsburgh hopes to climb back into playoff contention, they’ll need to quickly address the “big mistakes” that Karlsson referenced and that the Maple Leafs capitalized on during their 6-3 victory.

Toronto’s ability to rally from deficits has been tested multiple times this season against Pittsburgh, suggesting these matchups bring out resilient performances. The December 23 win follows an earlier November contest where the Maple Leafs erased a three-goal deficit to defeat the Penguins 4-3, demonstrating a pattern of offensive explosions against this particular opponent.

The victory gives Toronto a clean slate heading into the holiday break. As Berube noted, “You’re going to have a better Christmas I guess, if you like Christmas.” For a team that had been spiraling, the timing of this performance offers more than just two points—it provides belief that their season can still be salvaged.