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Maple Leafs’ Matias Maccelli credits Anthony Stolarz for 34-save performance in win vs. Oilers
Photo credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Feb 4, 2026, 09:30 ESTUpdated: Feb 4, 2026, 09:22 EST
The Toronto Maple Leafs found life in western Canada, winning three straight games on the road trip to pull themselves within five points of the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s final Wild Card spot.
The Maple Leafs defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Tuesday night, putting together a strong effort against an Oilers team that has gone to the past two Stanley Cup Finals. The win was especially impressive considering the Maple Leafs were playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Oilers were rested after having not played since Saturday.
“I think we played a solid game. We had the right mindset coming into the game,” Maple Leafs forward Matias Maccelli said. “We executed and stayed patient.”
Maccelli picked two goals in the win, improving the 25-year-old’s season numbers to 10 goals and 14 assists through 46 games. Maccelli has now scored in back-to-back games and recorded four points in his last five games, a welcome sign for many after early-season struggles that saw the former fourth-round pick by Arizona in 2019 often watching from the press box.
“It’s nice, I had a little bit of a stretch there with the puck not going in, just hitting the posts and the goalies making great saves,” Maccelli said. “It happens, you’ve got to stick with it. Now obviously it’s going well, so I’ve got to keep going.”
For the second straight night, the Maple Leafs had a strong goaltending performance. Tuesday night was Anthony Stolarz’s turn, stopping 34-of-36 shots to pick up his seventh win of the season. For much of the game, Stolarz gave the Maple Leafs an opportunity to be able to get that lead and build on it.
“It could have been a different game, obviously, if Stolarz didn’t make all those great saves,” Maccelli said. “He played lights out tonight.”
Much has been made as of late of the Maple Leafs lack of power play opportunities as of late, but on a night that saw the Maple Leafs head to the power play twice, they sure made them count, scoring twice to go up 4-2 at the time.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my career, almost three games without a power play opportunity,” Maccelli said. “Obviously, we got 5-on-3 and 5-on-4 goals there, so it feels good and gives us good momentum on the power play.”
The three wins in a row for the Maple Leafs team could not have come at a better time, giving many the belief that, in what has felt like a lost season, there is still time to get back on the right track.
“This road trip was big for us. We needed the points and needed wins,” Maccelli said. “I think we did a great job and put ourselves in the best possible spot heading into the break.”
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