The New Jersey Devils continued their dominant form with a 5–2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to five games. It was another statement performance from Jack Hughes, who recorded a hat trick and now has six goals in his past three outings.
The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, find themselves searching for answers after back-to-back losses. Despite an early lead, defensive lapses and inconsistency cost them once again — a trend that Auston Matthews openly addressed following the game.
“It’s a little bit of the same over the last couple games,” Matthews admitted, according to NHL.com. “Sloppy at times and then this roller coaster of consistency. I think that’s the biggest piece.” His words reflected a growing frustration within the locker room as Toronto fell to 3–3–1 on the season.
Hughes dominates as Devils stay hot
After John Tavares gave Toronto a 1–0 lead midway through the first period, the Devils flipped the script in the second. Hughes tied the game early before Cody Glass and Brenden Dillon struck in quick succession, putting New Jersey firmly in control.
Toronto challenged Hughes’s first goal for goaltender interference, but the call stood. “We felt he was in the blue paint and our goalie couldn’t get position,” head coach Craig Berube explained. “It’s always tricky, 50-50 a lot of times. It is what it is.”
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Matias Maccelli brought the Leafs back within one, scoring his first goal since joining the team, but Hughes’ second tally late in the period restored the Devils’ cushion. He later sealed the win with an empty-net goal to complete the hat trick.
Berube and Stolarz reflect after another setback
Following the game, Berube pointed to poor reads and turnovers as the main culprits. “Our defense has to be smarter. They have to read the play. They can’t be going all out. [The Devils] are a quick team, a great transition team. We shot ourselves in the foot,” the coach said.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who made 30 saves, echoed that sentiment. “They’re a skilled team, and for me personally that fourth goal is one you want back,” Stolarz said. “I loved the effort tonight. You look at the backcheck, blocking shots, getting in lanes — I thought we did a lot of good things tonight.”
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What’s next for Toronto
Toronto will need a strong response in its next outing as it faces a critical early stretch in the schedule. With the Atlantic Division race tightening and injuries beginning to test the roster, the Maple Leafs must find a way to regain the consistency that Matthews referenced.
