The Toronto Maple Leafs' 6-5 overtime defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night was not just a tough loss; it was a historic one. In a game filled with offensive fireworks, the Leafs managed to achieve a dubious distinction that has only been recorded a handful of times in the long history of the National Hockey League.
A Historic Collapse in Vegas
For the first time in the franchise's storied history, the Maple Leafs lost a game at T-Mobile Arena despite holding four separate two-goal leads throughout the contest. The team jumped ahead 2-0, 3-1, 4-2, and 5-3, yet still fell to the Golden Knights in extra time.
According to the NHL's official statistics department, this marked just the fourth time in league history a team has lost a game in which it held at least four two-goal leads. Intriguingly, the three previous instances all involved the Los Angeles Kings, with the most recent occurrence dating back nearly 39 years to March 21, 1987.
How the Game Unfolded
The Leafs started strong with early goals from Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. After Vegas's Pavel Dorofeyev cut the lead, captain Auston Matthews responded to make it 3-1 before the end of the first period.
In the second, Keegan Kolesar brought Vegas within one again, but John Tavares scored on the power play to restore the two-goal cushion at 4-2. Dorofeyev struck again on the power play early in the third, making it 4-3, before Scott Laughton seemingly put the game out of reach with Toronto's fifth goal at 8:58 of the final frame.
The collapse began from there. Vegas scored the next three goals, including the dramatic tying marker from Tomas Hertl with just seven seconds remaining in regulation time. Former Leaf Mitch Marner, now with Vegas, played a key role in the comeback, earning the primary assist on both of Dorofeyev's goals.
A Rare Feat for Both Teams
Jack Eichel sealed the improbable victory for the Golden Knights with the overtime winner. The comeback marked only the third time in Vegas Golden Knights franchise history that they have won a game when facing a multi-goal deficit in the final ten minutes of regulation.
The loss places the Maple Leafs in an exclusive but undesirable club. The Los Angeles Kings' three historic collapses include a March 21, 1987, 8-6 loss to Boston after four two-goal leads; a January 23, 1983, 8-6 loss to Edmonton after holding five two-goal leads; and a March 7, 1982, 7-6 loss to Hartford.
For the Maple Leafs and their fans, the game on January 16, 2026, will be remembered not for a valiant effort, but for a record-setting missed opportunity that underscores the unpredictable and often cruel nature of professional hockey.
