Standing at 7th in the Wild Card for the Eastern Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to stretch their arms to hold on to the chance of making it to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a record of 31-21-13 with 75 points, it's still possible for the team to clinch— if they win every game they have left until April 14.
After being the center of attention post-Winter Olympics for not winning a game, the team held an 8-game losing streak, until March 12 against the Anaheim Ducks. Fans of the sport predicted that the team wouldn't make it, given their stats and records, and with Auston Matthews out for the rest of the season due to an injury by the Ducks' Radko Gudas.
Fans expressed their desire for the team to just "tank", or intentionally lose to secure a top prospect in the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft this coming summer. But the team had other plans, still holding onto the passion to continue the team's 9-year streak on clinching a playoffs spot. Passionate, but also critical.
While the leafs refuse to give up their playoff spot, every blare of the horn brings a cost. By continuing to win, the Maple Leaf are actively sliding down the draft board, losing their odds of landing a top 10 draft pick like Gavin McKenna (Penn State, BIG10) and Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota, NCHC), who are currently the top 2 prospects as of March 26.
Ten years ago, a last-place finish gave them a franchise-altering superstar. The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted a first overall pick was in 2016, when they held a record of 29-42-11 and with 69 points, finishing the 2015-16 season at the bottom of the standings. With that, they successfully secured 2016's first overall pick, Auston Matthews.
The Maple Leafs secured back-to-back wins in their most recent matchups, silencing the crowd at TD Garden against the Boston Bruins before fueling the cheers at Scotiabank Arena against the New York Rangers. Goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll were both named First Stars of the Game in their respective starts, proving that despite the odds, this team isn't ready to give up just yet.
Against their long-time rivals, the Maple Leafs overcame a slow start to defeat the Boston Bruins with 4-2 after Matthew Knies led the charge, netting both the opening and closing goals to score his 19th and 20th for the season.
Anthony Stolarz was named the First Star of the game in his return to the net, making 18 saves just three days after a frightening pregame injury. Stolarz, who was hospitalized after taking a puck to the throat during warmups on March 21, showed no signs of resting. The goaltender held a 2.01 GAA and a. 900 save percentage through the game.
John Tavares followed Stolarz as the game’s Second Star, putting up a dominant performance with 3 assists. Rounding out the night’s stars was Matthew Knies, who earned the Third Star after his 2 goals silenced the TD Garden crowd.
The goaltenders' dominance continued as the Toronto Maple Leafs secured a close 4–3 victory, officially ending the New York Rangers' postseason hopes. Joseph Woll stood tall in front of the net, blocking 40 shots to outduel Igor Shesterkin and keep Toronto’s slim playoff dreams alive.
Joseph Woll was rightfully named the First Star of the night after turning aside 40 shots for a .930 save percentage. Beyond his dominance in the crease, Woll also picked up his first career NHL point with a secondary assist on Dakota Joshua’s second-period goal.
Dakota Joshua followed as the Second Star of the game, putting together a strong multi-point performance with a goal and an assist. His net-front presence and two-point night proved vital in securing the 4–3 victory over New York.
As of March 26, the Maple Leafs sit 7th in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race with a record of 31-29-13. With 75 points, they currently trail behind the Washington Capitals by four points for the next spot in the standings. While the gap is closing, time is running out to leapfrog the competition and secure a postseason berth.
With only nine games remaining in the 2025-26 schedule, the Maple Leafs are hanging on by a thread, desperate to keep their nine-season playoff streak alive. The road ahead remains treacherous, as they must still face teams like the Dallas Stars, who recently became the second team in the NHL to officially clinch a playoff spot in the Central Division.
Toronto may be hanging on by a thread, but they are doing so with the strength that was missing earlier in the month. The playoffs remain a long shot, and a top draft pick is sliding out of reach, but for now, the 'Passion' remains. For the Toronto faithful, the next two weeks will determine if this was a season of 'what ifs' or the start of a legendary comeback.