It’s been a busy month for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with ups and downs along the way. However, after playing 11 games in 21 days, including three back-to-backs with travel, the Maple Leafs had a relatively quiet week during their week 12 schedule with the Christmas break arriving.

They opened last week with their annual ‘Next Gen’ game against the Jets right before the Christmas break and closed out the week with back-to-back games against the Red Wings and Capitals, looking to find more consistency heading into 2025.

William Nylander can do things not many players in the league can do. He’s having a productive season and scoring at the highest rate of his career (on pace for 53 goals), but from a points aspect, he’s well below his total from last season when he flirted with 100 points following his mega eight-year extension.

The longest-tenured forward on the Maple Leafs entered week 12 with 38 points in 34 games while on a six-game point streak. He began the week with his 14th multi-point effort of the season with two assists in their 5-2 loss to the Jets, and extended his point streak to eight games with another assist after setting up Mitch Marner on the power play against the Red Wings.

Unfortunately, his point streak ended the following night at home against the Capitals, but the three-point week from the Calgary, Alberta native has improved his season totals to 41 points. This ties him with Brandon Hagel and Travis Konecny for 18th in the NHL in that category, and 23 goals, which ties him with Kirill Kaprizov and Brayden Point for second in the NHL, just three behind Leon Draisaitl’s 26.

John Tavares handed Auston Matthews the captaincy, and he has since turned back the clock, looking like the Tavares who scored 36 goals two years ago and the one who registered 88 points in his first season in Toronto.

He may not be producing at the same rate as Marner and Nylander, but the veteran forward is currently scoring at the highest rate since 2018-19 (1.07 points per game), with a points per game of 1.03 this season.

Heading into week 12, Tavares had 15 goals, with his last one coming against the Sabres in the form of a hat-trick on December 15th. After going three games without finding the back of the net, he recorded his fourth multi-goal game of the year with two against the Jets, giving him five total goals against Winnipeg this season.

He didn’t stop there. The 34-year-old added two assists the following game against the Red Wings, including a no-look, backhand pass between his legs to Marner for the one-timer, and scored his 18th goal of the year to end the week against the Capitals after redirecting a Simon Benoit shot past Logan Thompson.

When Auston Matthews went down with an injury earlier this season – missing nine games – the Maple Leafs went 7-2-0 in his absence, and a big reason for that was because of Mitch Marner, who recorded 15 points – seven goals and eight assists, along with seven multi-point efforts.

After Matthews re-entered the lineup, Marner didn’t stop producing. He produced roughly the same amount of points in the 11 games Matthews played in after returning. Unfortunately, Matthews reaggravated his injury and has been sidelined for the past four games, but Marner has not slowed down.

In the three games last week, the Markham, Ontario native registered five points, three goals and two assists, including his third career hat trick last Friday against the Red Wings. Fun fact: two of Marner’s hat tricks have come against Detroit, and both were natural hat tricks.

With five more points added to his season totals, Marner now sits at 50 points on the year, good enough for sixth in the league, tied with Kirill Kaprizov.

Alright, hockey fans, this isn’t just a trip—it’s the Nation Vacation, 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 nationgear.ca. Let’s go, Toronto! Nashville is calling!