Auston Matthews scores vintage hat trick to lead Leafs in comeback against Jets

Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs came back and defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-5 in what was arguably their biggest win of the season. This victory showed that the Maple Leafs can battle through adversity, even when the game is not going their way. Toronto could have easily folded and moved on to the next game, but instead, they stayed with it.

Nightmare start for the Maple Leafs

The Leafs got off to a terrible start, falling behind 2-0 early in the first period. For a team that needed to play desperate hockey against a struggling Jets squad, this was the worst possible start. Heading into the second period, many expected to see a different Leafs team, and that is exactly what happened. Toronto came out flying, with Auston Matthews cutting the lead in half early in the period. That momentum did not last long, however, as just under a minute later, Alex Iafallo restored the Jets’ two-goal lead. Three minutes after that, Mark Scheifele extended Winnipeg’s advantage to 4-1, ending Joseph Woll’s night. Dennis Hildeby entered the game in relief, and his task was simple: give the Leafs a chance and shut the door.

Auston Matthews Takes Over

With just over half of the second period gone, Oliver Ekman-Larsson gave Toronto life by cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Leafs later earned a power play and made it count, as Matthews scored his second goal of the night with just two seconds remaining in the period. Toronto carried that momentum into the third and looked fast, confident, and aggressive. Six minutes in, Matias Maccelli tied the game with a quick release past Eric Comrie.

That tie did not last long. Max Domi took a costly penalty, and Scheifele scored his second of the night on the power play to give Winnipeg the lead once again. Moments later, Troy Stecher responded with a huge goal to tie the game. Two minutes after that, Easton Cowan capitalized on a miscommunication near the Jets’ net, allowing Matthews to slide home the puck into the open cage and complete his first hat trick of the season. The Leafs had their first lead of the night.

A statement finish

Toronto played strong defensive hockey the rest of the way, while Hildeby made several clutch saves to preserve the win. This was a gutsy effort from a team that earlier in the season may have quit. The Maple Leafs are now embracing pressure and staying in games regardless of circumstances. These wins may not be pretty, but they are critical points. Toronto now sits two points behind the Buffalo Sabres for the final Wild Card spot.