Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi (11) celebrates his goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with forward William Nylander (88) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi (11) celebrates his goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi (11) celebrates his goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with forward William Nylander (88) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
NSD/JFJ
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi (11) celebrates his goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
TORONTO - Max Domi scored the winner with 8:25 remaining to snap a 23-game goalless streak and added an assist to end the Toronto Maple Leafs' three-game slide with a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Domi danced around Pittsburgh newcomer Brett Kulak for the deciding goal, a few hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave head coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence for the second time this season.
William Nylander scored the icebreaker for his first in 11 games, midway through the first period, before 18,979 at Scotiabank Arena. But Bryan Rust drew the Penguins even 44 seconds later, getting behind Nicolas Roy and Chris Tanev for a successful breakaway.
Toronto鈥檚 Matias Maccelli scored on a weak shot with 6:26 remaining in the first period. Steven Lorentz stripped Pittsburgh鈥檚 Erik Karlsson for a second-period breakaway goal. Rutger McGroarty pulled the visitors to within a goal a few shifts later.
Toronto (16-15-5) fired 31 shots on goal while the Penguins (15-12-9) registered 32, with Joseph Woll picking up his sixth win in 11 starts. Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner has yet to win in three starts, with 12 goals against since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15.
Bobby McMann and Nylander scored empty-netters to give Toronto its third win this season against the Penguins.
Treliving also remarked earlier Tuesday he鈥檚 not ready to sell off key players for a rebuild.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e turning the page right now on the season,鈥欌 Treliving said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not here waving the white flag.鈥
Takeaways
Leafs: Tanev (upper-body) returned after a 23-game absence.
Penguins: McGroarty was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, where his mother, Cindy, grew up. However, his father, Jim, hails from Mississauga, Ont., and played defence for the junior B Streetsville Derbys.
Key moment
Domi鈥檚 game-winner was during a four-on-four situation. He last scored on Oct. 28, when he checked in with a two-goal outing.
Key stat
A day after assistant coach Marc Savard was fired for steering the Maple Leafs to the NHL鈥檚 worst power-play (12 for 90 with four short-handed goals against), Toronto went 0 for 2 against Pittsburgh. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde has been given the task of fixing the team鈥檚 power-play struggles.
Up next
Penguins: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Leafs: Play host to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
This report by 好色tvwas first published Dec. 23, 2025.