First-place Ducks lose to Toronto

Maple Leafs end 8-game losing streak with 6-4 win over Pacific Division leaders

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:22am

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The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the first-place Anaheim Ducks 6-4 on Thursday night, ending an 8-game losing streak. William Nylander scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period on a power play. The Maple Leafs' victory was tempered by an injury to captain Auston Matthews, who left the game after a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.

Why it matters

The Ducks' loss is a setback in their bid to maintain their lead in the Pacific Division, while the Maple Leafs' win provides a much-needed boost as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive after a dismal stretch since the Olympic break.

The details

William Nylander scored the go-ahead goal 36 seconds into the third period on a power play to give the Maple Leafs a 5-4 lead. Matias Maccell had a goal and two assists, and John Tavares and Benoit-Olivier Groulx also scored for Toronto. Matthew Knies added an empty-net goal. Joseph Woll made 36 saves for the Maple Leafs. Cutter Gauthier, Ian Moore, Pavel Mintyukov and Alex Killorn scored for the Ducks, and Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
  • Auston Matthews was injured with four minutes left in the second period.

The players

William Nylander

A forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs who scored the go-ahead goal in the third period.

Auston Matthews

The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs who was injured on a knee-on-knee hit in the second period.

Radko Gudas

A defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks who was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for the hit on Auston Matthews.

Matias Maccell

A forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs who had a goal and two assists.

Lukas Dostal

The goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks who made 23 saves.

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What they’re saying

“We must find a way to bounce back from this loss and maintain our lead in the division.”

— Cutter Gauthier, Ducks forward

“Losing Auston is a big blow, but we'll rally around each other and keep fighting to make the playoffs.”

— John Tavares, Maple Leafs forward

What’s next

The Ducks will look to bounce back in their next game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, March 14th. The Maple Leafs will await an update on the severity of Auston Matthews' knee injury before their next game against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, March 15th.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the Ducks' continued dominance in the Pacific Division, as well as the Maple Leafs' struggle to maintain consistency and stay in the playoff race despite the loss of their star player Auston Matthews to injury.