<p>It looked like the Winnipeg Jets remembered that there&#8217;s nothing better than beating the Leafs on Monday afternoon. After six straight losses to Toronto, specifically the last six games since Jets captain Mark Scheifele was filmed and dropping the infamous &#8216;beating the Leafs&#8217; quote, the Jets came out on top with a 5-2 victory.</p>
<p>The Maple Leafs haven&#8217;t been playing their best hockey of the season over the past couple of weeks, but have won enough games to keep the alarm bells quiet. Still, losing Auston Matthews for the second time of the season following Friday night&#8217;s win over the Buffalo Sabres has seemed to take a bigger toll on the Leafs than it did the first time around. John Tavares carried the mail offensively for his team, providing both goals, but the team simply didn&#8217;t play a tight enough game to mount a comeback.</p>
<p>It was a tough game for Mitch Marner, who took the first penalty of the game to give the Jets&#8217; league-best power play the chance to cook, which they did. Then, he gave the puck away on the play that led to the second goal and made a similar mistake later in the game before Joseph Woll bailed him out.</p>
<p>Marner&#8217;s frustrations spilled into other areas of the game, including a shorthanded break that was broken up on the shot attempt by Jets defenceman Neal Pionk. Marner has traditionally been the Maple Leafs&#8217; best player when Matthews is out of the lineup, so to see him struggle in a Next-Gen game (one where he typically thrives) was unconventional.</p>
<p>Tavares spoke about their need to clean up their mistakes off the rush and in transition, which was evident when the Maple Leafs had the net empty at the end of the game. They had two and a half minutes to make up a two-goal deficit but spent most of it chasing the puck back into their own zone and trying to thwart the Jets&#8217; empty-net goal attempts. Either way, it was an off-night all around for a team that&#8217;s been stacking up a few too many off-nights lately. The Christmas break is coming at the right time.</p>
<h2>Join us for the first-ever TLN Nation Vacation!</h2>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115002" src="https://i0.wp.com/publish.theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2099/08/TLN_Nashville_article-1.png?resize=727%2C404&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="727" height="404" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/publish.theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2099/08/TLN_Nashville_article-1.png?w=727&amp;ssl=1 727w, https://i0.wp.com/publish.theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2099/08/TLN_Nashville_article-1.png?resize=300%2C167&amp;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px" /></p>
<p>Alright, hockey fans, this isn’t just a trip—it’s the <a href="https://nationgear.ca/products/nation-vacation-toronto-to-nashville-2025">Nation Vacation</a>, and we’re heading to the Music City from March 20th to 23rd! Get ready to watch Toronto take on Nashville in their own barn, soak up the honky-tonk vibes, and make unforgettable memories with the Nation crew. Whether you’re all in for a flight package or prefer a non-flight option, we’ve got you covered. Just don’t wait—spots are limited, and this trip is going to be electric. Book your spot NOW at <a href="https://nationgear.ca/products/nation-vacation-toronto-to-nashville-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://nationgear.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734810980719000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0_i7FzyATbvkLHQ3ApMxZH">nationgear.ca</a>. Let’s go, Toronto! Nashville is calling!</p>


It looked like the Winnipeg Jets remembered that there's nothing better than beating the Leafs on Monday afternoon. After six straight losses to Toronto, specifically the last six games since Jets captain Mark Scheifele was filmed and dropping the infamous 'beating the Leafs' quote, the Jets came out on top with a 5-2 victory.

The Maple Leafs haven't been playing their best hockey of the season over the past couple of weeks, but have won enough games to keep the alarm bells quiet. Still, losing Auston Matthews for the second time of the season following Friday night's win over the Buffalo Sabres has seemed to take a bigger toll on the Leafs than it did the first time around. John Tavares carried the mail offensively for his team, providing both goals, but the team simply didn't play a tight enough game to mount a comeback.

It was a tough game for Mitch Marner, who took the first penalty of the game to give the Jets' league-best power play the chance to cook, which they did. Then, he gave the puck away on the play that led to the second goal and made a similar mistake later in the game before Joseph Woll bailed him out.

Marner's frustrations spilled into other areas of the game, including a shorthanded break that was broken up on the shot attempt by Jets defenceman Neal Pionk. Marner has traditionally been the Maple Leafs' best player when Matthews is out of the lineup, so to see him struggle in a Next-Gen game (one where he typically thrives) was unconventional.

Tavares spoke about their need to clean up their mistakes off the rush and in transition, which was evident when the Maple Leafs had the net empty at the end of the game. They had two and a half minutes to make up a two-goal deficit but spent most of it chasing the puck back into their own zone and trying to thwart the Jets' empty-net goal attempts. Either way, it was an off-night all around for a team that's been stacking up a few too many off-nights lately. The Christmas break is coming at the right time.
<h2>Join us for the first-ever TLN Nation Vacation!</h2>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-115002" src="https://publish.theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2099/08/TLN_Nashville_article-1.png" alt="" width="727" height="404" />

Alright, hockey fans, this isn’t just a trip—it’s the <a href="https://nationgear.ca/products/nation-vacation-toronto-to-nashville-2025">Nation Vacation</a>, and we’re heading to the Music City from March 20th to 23rd! Get ready to watch Toronto take on Nashville in their own barn, soak up the honky-tonk vibes, and make unforgettable memories with the Nation crew. Whether you’re all in for a flight package or prefer a non-flight option, we’ve got you covered. Just don’t wait—spots are limited, and this trip is going to be electric. Book your spot NOW at <a href="https://nationgear.ca/products/nation-vacation-toronto-to-nashville-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://nationgear.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734810980719000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0_i7FzyATbvkLHQ3ApMxZH">nationgear.ca</a>. Let’s go, Toronto! Nashville is calling!

Knee Jerk Reaction: Maple Leafs go into Christmas on a Festivus note with loss to Jets

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