Matias Maccelli may have just bought himself more time with the Maple Leafs

For the Maple Leafs, yet another loss has landed them in a precarious position, leaving them sitting dead last in the Atlantic Division with a 15-14-5 record through 34 games thus far.

Yes, they're only 6 points back of a playoff spot with a game in hand on the Tampa Bay Lightning and 2 games in hand on the Boston Bruins, but on opening night, if someone had told you that the Leafs would be dead last in the Atlantic Division at the midway point of the season, you'd have probably laughed them out of the building.

Well, as is always the case, seemingly, the joke is on the Maple Leafs, who have dug themselves quite the hole in the first half of this season.

One of the reasons that the Leafs have struggled so much is the departure of Mitch Marner, and the players who were brought in to replace him in aggregate.

Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli and Nicolas Roy have combined for just 31 points so far through 34 games, with the latter two names heading into Saturday's game against the Nashville Predators with just 9 points each.

Joshua and Roy have largely gotten a pass because of their strong defensive play, physicality and special teams abilities. However, for Maccelli, his slow start to the season has landed him in the press box on multiple occasions -- the latest stint being a 9 games long. Before last night, the last time Maccelli had suited up for a game was November 28th against the Washington Capitals.

Maccelli was brought in to be a difference-maker on offense, and one of the Leafs' premier playmakers. His performance, though, has not been up to par.

Thankfully for Maccelli, he made the most of his opportunity last night, and it could lead to him finding his way out of Craig Berube's doghouse. The head coach was pleasantly surprised with how well Maccelli had played in the loss.

Maccelli's comments after the game were an indicator that he's motivated to play well and remain in the lineup beyond last night.

Maccelli assisted on John Tavares' 2nd period go-ahead goal, and while he was a -2 on the night, Berube didn't seem to pin any of the goals against on the skilled winger.

Maccelli played a season-high 16:19 in his return, fired two pucks on net and blocked one shot as well. That performance might just be his ticket into the lineup on Sunday evening when the Leafs take on the Dallas Stars. Another strong performance, and Maccelli may return to regular duty for the Leafs moving forward.

A healthy scratch for Max Domi opened the door for Maccelli on Saturday night, and while there's no indication that Domi will remain in the press box long-term, I think it's safe to say that Maccelli won't be the one coming out of the lineup on Sunday if Domi gets back in.