WINNIPEG – When the Toronto Maple Leafs arrived in Winnipeg Friday night time, the temperature was chilly however a sight warmed them up.
Leafs followers greeted them on the workforce resort, adopted up by loads of followers cheering for them at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.
The out-of-town foes rewarded them with a 4-3 time beyond regulation victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
“It’s unreal. We’ve received the perfect followers on the earth and it’s not even shut,” mentioned Leafs ahead Max Domi. “It’s nice to see their assist on the street, even across the resort and stuff.
“(Friday) night time, we received in and it was freezing chilly and pitch black and we had like, I don’t know, 100 followers ready for us. I believe that simply speaks volumes to the assist we now have. We’re very fortunate and we embrace it for certain.”
Domi supplied the game-winner, scoring at 3:08 of time beyond regulation on a two-on-one with Auston Matthews.
How assured was the Winnipeg-born Domi that Matthews was going to cross the puck to him?
“Fairly assured,” Domi mentioned. “Virtually as assured as me giving it again to him, however then I needed to shoot it.”
Domi had an open facet of the online and fired the puck over the stick of sprawling goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Domi additionally picked up an help, Matthews scored his twenty fourth objective of the season and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a objective and two assists. Bobby McMann additionally scored for the Leafs (24-16-8) and Morgan Rielly added two helpers.
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Dennis Hildeby stopped 27 pictures for Toronto, which ended a four-game street journey going 2-1-1.
Winnipeg has misplaced its final 4 house video games towards Toronto, with the earlier victory on Dec. 5, 2021.
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Ekman-Larsson appreciated the cheers from Leafs followers, many clad within the Ontario workforce’s jerseys.
“It’s nice coming right here,” he mentioned. “Clearly, plenty of Leafs followers and a loud constructing. It was a very good check for us on the finish of the street journey.”
The loss halted Winnipeg’s win streak at 4 video games.
Alex Iafallo, Kyle Connor and Nino Niederreiter scored for the Jets (19-22-6) in entrance of their fifth sellout of the season and Hellebuyck made 33 saves.
The Jets held a 3-1 lead early within the third interval, however McMann’s fifteenth objective of the season tied it up with 4:27 remaining in regulation when he tipped in an Ekman-Larsson shot by means of visitors.
“All through, the gang was fairly loud at this time,” McMann mentioned. “Had just a few Leafs followers right here, that was good, simply sort of feeding off that vitality.”
Winnipeg went on the facility play with 3:13 remaining in regulation due to a Matthew Knies’ penalty for high-sticking. A shot by Jonathan Toews hit the crossbar and stayed out.
The Jets had a 2-0 lead with Connor’s objective at 8:59 of the second interval, however Matthews scored 23 seconds later.
He was booed by some Jets followers, who typically goal the opposition’s finest participant.
“I don’t thoughts it,” Matthews mentioned. “I imply, they’re not booing for no purpose. I don’t know., you simply take it as it’s and also you simply have enjoyable with it.”
Leafs head coach Craig Berube mentioned Matthews had a powerful recreation.
“He was skating and attacking all recreation. He had his legs, and that line was actually good for us,” he mentioned. “However it was a very good workforce effort. I believed everyone contributed and did a very good job tonight.”
Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, who was the lone defender on Domi’s objective, loved the environment — even with the pro-Leafs followers.
“Each time the Leafs are on the town, it’s all the time a rowdy environment,” Morrissey mentioned. “Clearly, their followers journey rather well, so it was a enjoyable recreation.”
Niederreiter snapped a 21-game objective drought together with his seventh marker of the season that made it 3-1 at 2:28 of the third interval.
“It felt good to get on the board, however on the identical time, you would like you would have gained that recreation. That will have made it even higher,” he mentioned.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel preferred selecting up a degree with the loss, however wished two.
“It nonetheless sort of rubs me the flawed method,” he mentioned. “On the finish of the day we now have to discover a method. We had that one and we should always have completed it, discover a technique to end it, that’s a part of our jobs.”
He was dissatisfied Winnipeg’s two-goal lead evaporated.
“That’s what we discuss, looking for a technique to end that recreation off,” Morrissey mentioned. “However disappointing. We managed to get a degree and we attempt to maintain going.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 18, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
