After a sluggish start, the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing catch-up all night in a 6-5 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
Despite a valiant effort in the final minute of regulation, Toronto's attempt to stage a comeback came up short. Down 5-3, they scored twice in 44 seconds to force overtime and earn a point, pushing their regular-season point total to 90 and regaining sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.
However, the Leafs missed out on two points against the Sharks this season – who are ranked dead last in the league – dropping both contests in a shootout.
One bright spot for the Leafs, though, was newly acquired forward Scott Laughton registering his first goal and point as a member of the team.
The tally came at the 15:13 mark of the second period to cut the deficit to one, making it a 4-3 score. His goal broke a 14-game point drought that stretched back to his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, picking up his first in 10 games in Toronto.
The 30-year-old made a strong play in the offensive zone, carrying the puck up the half wall before he wired home a one-timer off a pass from David Kampf, beating Sharks goaltender Alexandar Georgiev.
Scott Laughton has his first goal as a member of the @MapleLeafs! 🍁 pic.twitter.com/2opNTZWRG1
— NHL (@NHL) March 28, 2025
It was an important moment for the Oakville, ON, native, who has been working hard to settle into his new role with the Maple Leafs.
“It was nice, probably for my own confidence, and nice to get one for sure. It would have been a lot nicer to get a win and not score,” Laughton admitted after the game. “I know my role on this team, and obviously, contributing is nice, but I know what to bring on a daily basis, and I’m starting to feel more comfortable. Starting to play a little bit better. So, it’s good for myself, but you want to get those two points.”
Head coach Craig Berube had previously urged Laughton to stop overthinking his game, urging him to loosen up and just play freely.
