Maple Leafs still trying to find consistency despite 3-2 win over Blackhawks

TORONTO – For 50 minutes, it seemed like nothing could get the Toronto Maple Leafs to play with any kind of urgency. Not head coach Craig Berube yelling at them, not the fans at Scotiabank Arena booing them.

Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored with 9:59 left to play — shortly after another round of booing — and then Auston Matthews and Dakota Joshua had goals eight seconds apart as the Maple Leafs rallied to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday as Toronto essentially won the game in its final 10 minutes. 

Joshua and Matthews said they didn’t blame the crowd for getting down on the Maple Leafs after they came out flat, especially in the first period.

“If I was a fan, I wouldn’t have been too happy with the performance either,” said Joshua, who batted in a juicy rebound given up by Chicago goalie Spencer Knight for the game-winning goal. “So, you know, no surprise there, but at the end of the day, nice to pull that one out for them.”

Joshua said that the booing had gotten through to the Toronto players after a lackadaisical effort had them trailing 2-0 by the first intermission.

“No one wants to get booed in their own building, but at the same time, (the fans) have every right to feel that way with what we were putting out there,” said Joshua. “Glad we could fix it for tonight, and we got to keep it moving.”

Matthews cupped his ear after he scored a power-play goal at 16:51 of the third period. His goal — and celebration — brought the arena to life after Ekman-Larsson’s goal had silenced the boos.

“The boo birds were coming down, rightfully so,” said Matthews. “I think after that first goal, the crowd really got into it, which is great. 

“And then after the second one, the place was rocking and then after the third going even more.”

Having 18,568 spectators slowly turn on them wasn’t the only vocal criticism the Maple Leafs endured.

Berube was seen tearing into his bench during a video review that led to a goal by Blackhawks centre Teuvo Teravainen being disallowed for goaltender interference. After the game, Berube needed help from reporters to narrow down which time he had yelled at his players.

“Could have been any number,” said Berube dryly. “Exactly which one?”

After it was explained that it was during the replay, Berube nodded.

“Giving up a short-handed goal (to Jason Dickinson), and then, you know, giving up a faceoff goal (to Wyatt Kaiser), they shouldn’t happen,” said Berube. “And then we get outmuscled around our net. It’s just simple things. That’s why I was pissed off.”

Joseph Woll made 23 saves as Toronto (15-12-5) narrowly escaped having its losing skid stretch to three games. It was only the second time the Maple Leafs have won this season after trailing after two periods.

Joshua said that the two-goal deficit had been dug by Toronto’s poor effort and that it’s a trend that has to stop as the Maple Leafs sit sixth in the Atlantic Division and five spots out of a wild-card berth.

“Just self-inflicted wounds,” he said. “We were doing it to ourselves. Too many turnovers, and that can’t happen. 

“We’ve just got to be better.”

The Maple Leafs won’t have to worry about their own fans booing them for the next three games, as they embark on a road trip with stops in Washington, Nashville and Dallas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2025.