Toronto continues to find ways to stay close, but comfort never lasts long. Each good stretch with a couple of decisive wins fades before it can change the bigger picture.
That uneasy balance now turns attention toward a deeper issue. It brings the Matthews era into focus at a moment when it has rarely been before.
Power Play Collapse Puts Pressure on Auston Matthews’ Era
The Maple Leafs are 15-12-5 this season, a record that reflects drift more than direction. Wins arrive in clusters, yet losses shaped by late mistakes often follow them. Toronto stays competitive, but control slips when games intensify.
After last season’s second-round elimination, expectations were higher for the 2025-26 campaign. Instead, the team has fallen short and struggled to win games following Mitch Marner’s exit in the summer of 2025.
The offense continues to do its share at five-on-five, averaging 3.28 goals per game. William Nylander leads the team with 36 points, while Auston Matthews sits atop the goal list with 14. Still, the power play has become a growing concern, ranking near the bottom of the league and removing a significant advantage from a skilled roster.
That frustration was laid out bluntly in a recent Athletic column. NHL insider Dom Luszczyszyn wrote that Toronto is “dead last with the man advantage,” calling it unfamiliar and unacceptable for a team with this level of talent.
He added that the Leafs are one of only two teams scoring under five goals per 60 minutes on the power play, noting that the last time this happened over a 30-game span was during the 2015-16 season, when Toronto finished last. Luszczyszyn described it as a first in the Matthews era and said the team “desperately needs it to be the last.”
Those struggles have placed Matthews under a sharper lens. While flashes of his old dominance still appear, they no longer arrive night after night. His recent production has raised concern, with stretches where he looks more like a very good player rather than the league’s most feared scorer.
Matthews remains central to everything Toronto does. The 28-year-old plays heavy minutes at even strength and on the power play, stays on the ice late in close games, and leads the group as captain. Through 27 games, he has 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points, carries a plus-11 rating, and averages just over 21 minutes per game.
Defensive play has offered little margin for error. Toronto allows 3.22 goals per game, forcing the offense to chase games more often than planned. The penalty kill has been a positive and sits among the league’s better units, but it has not been enough to offset power-play failures.
READ MORE: NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs Torn Between Trading for $27.3M D-Man or Getting Auston Matthews Some Help
Toronto remains in the playoff race, yet the footing feels fragile. The Leafs face the Washington Capitals on December 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the Capitals entering the game at 18-11-4. Matthews heads into the matchup with three goals and four points over the last five games, while Nylander continues to drive offense from the wing.
The season is still within reach, but the signal is clear. For the first time in the Matthews era, Toronto’s greatest strength is in question, and how quickly it responds may determine how far this team can go.
