A historic night for Auston Matthews was ultimately overshadowed by a stunning overtime performance from a teenage phenom. The Toronto Maple Leafs' star forward cemented his place in franchise lore on Saturday, January 3, 2026, only to watch New York Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer snatch a 4-3 victory in extra time.
Matthews Makes History, But Schaefer Steals the Win
The game's narrative was set in the second period when Auston Matthews scored two goals to surpass Mats Sundin as the Toronto Maple Leafs' all-time leading scorer. The milestone moment for the 108-year-old club sent the Toronto bench into a frenzy. However, the celebration was premature, as the Leafs failed to secure the crucial extra point in the tight Eastern Conference wildcard race.
Enter 18-year-old Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer. The rookie, who also scored in the third period to help force overtime, became the hero for the home team in Elmont, N.Y. Schaefer electrified the crowd by bolting past three Leafs defenders before netting the game-winner, his 12th goal of the season.
A Battle of First Overall Picks
The clash featured a fascinating subplot between two first-overall NHL draft picks. Matthews, Toronto's franchise cornerstone, nearly won the game in overtime himself, which would have given him back-to-back hat tricks. On the other side, Schaefer, the Islanders' young blue-line star, showcased why he was selected with the top pick, demonstrating poise beyond his years.
The game intensified after a scoreless first period. John Tavares, still hearing boos from Islanders fans for his 2018 departure, lost a key faceoff in the second period. Jonathan Drouin capitalized on the turnover, setting up Adam Pelech for a goal that beat Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll.
Leafs' Streak Continues Amid Lineup Changes
Despite the loss, the Maple Leafs matched their season-high sixth consecutive game earning at least a point. Coach Sheldon Keefe stuck with Joseph Woll as the starter, despite the netminder allowing four goals on 18 shots in his previous outing against Winnipeg.
The Toronto blue line saw a significant change with the insertion of veteran Matt Benning. The 31-year-old defenceman, who had not played an NHL game in over a year after arriving from San Jose, was paired with Simon Benoit. Benning, acquired in the October 2024 trade that sent Timothy Liljegren out of town, spent the interim with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
"It's exciting, I worked pretty hard to get back here," Benning told the Toronto Sun prior to the game. "It's the first experience for me spending that amount of time down in the American League but I got some confidence, played a lot of minutes and found my game again." His appearance closed a 40-year gap in family history, as his uncle Jim also patrolled the Leafs' blueline.
The Leafs' next challenge will be to build on their points streak while finding a way to close out games, a task made more difficult when opposing rookies like Matthew Schaefer decide to seize the moment.
