Dallas Stars Rally Past Toronto Maple Leafs in Thrilling Finish

Mavrik Bourque's hat trick leads Stars to comeback victory in Toronto's final home game of the season.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 3:04am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting that breaks down a hockey game between the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs into sharp, overlapping geometric planes, capturing the players' movements and the energy of the game through a cubist visual style.The Dallas Stars' thrilling comeback victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs is captured in a cubist-inspired illustration that deconstructs the action on the ice.Dallas Today

The Dallas Stars overcame early deficits of 3-0 and 5-3 to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in a high-scoring affair on Monday night. Mavrik Bourque led the Stars' comeback with his first NHL hat trick, while Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston also scored for Dallas. William Nylander, Jacob Quillan, John Tavares, Nick Robertson, and Max Domi found the back of the net for the Maple Leafs in their final home game of the season.

Why it matters

The win secures home-ice advantage for the Stars in the first round of the playoffs, where they will face the Minnesota Wild. For the Maple Leafs, the loss ends their season on a sour note as they miss the postseason for the first time in several years.

The details

Dallas rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first period and a 5-3 deficit in the third to complete the comeback victory. Bourque's hat trick, along with goals from Robertson and Johnston, powered the Stars' offense, while Casey DeSmith made 22 saves in net. Toronto got goals from several of their top players, including Nylander, Tavares, and Domi, but ultimately couldn't hold on to their early leads.

  • The game was played on Monday, April 13, 2026.
  • It was the final home game of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The players

Mavrik Bourque

A Dallas Stars forward who recorded his first NHL hat trick in the game.

Jason Robertson

A Dallas Stars forward who scored a goal and added an assist in the comeback win.

William Nylander

A Toronto Maple Leafs forward who scored a goal and had two assists in the losing effort.

John Tavares

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain, who scored a goal and passed Bob Pulford for 11th on the franchise's all-time points list.

Casey DeSmith

The Dallas Stars goaltender who made 22 saves to secure the victory.

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What they’re saying

“We knew we had to dig deep and fight back. The guys showed a lot of character to come back from those early deficits.”

— Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars forward

“It's tough to end the season like this at home, but we have to give credit to Dallas. They battled back and deserved the win.”

— John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs captain

What’s next

The Dallas Stars will face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs, with home-ice advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs' season has come to an end, as they missed the postseason for the first time in several years.

The takeaway

This thrilling comeback victory for the Dallas Stars showcases the team's resilience and ability to overcome adversity, while the loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs marks the end of a disappointing season for the perennial playoff contenders.