Pathetic, really.
The Maple Leafs slinked into their bye week on Saturday night and said bye-bye to their playoff spot.
The aim for many players as they get away from their livelihoods is to forget about work and relax, but we’re not sure how that can be possible for the Leafs considering their recent play.
Once the Leafs return from the break on Jan. 27 in Nashville to start a two-game trip, they’re going to try to put behind them the first true skid in the Sheldon Keefe era.
The Leafs were on auto pilot before 19,502 at Scotiabank Arena, losing 6-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
As such, the Leafs will scatter for warmer climates with just one win in six games, going 1-3-2. This after Toronto won nine of 10.
And worse: The Leafs have fallen out of a playoff spot, sitting in fourth in the Atlantic Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s not a good feeling,” captain John Tavares said. “We have to dig down and ask ourselves where we want to get to and how bad we want to get there.
“Everyone is invested 100%, but when we have games like this, it gets in the way of us building what we want to build.”
The concern around No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen continues to grow, and never mind that he’s going to represent the Leafs, along with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, at the all-star game in St. Louis.
Andersen has been less-than-average for a while now, allowing at least three goals in 10 of his past 12 starts.
“Myself included, it’s not a time to point fingers,” Andersen said. “Of course, (he and goaltending coach Steve Briere) have to work through it. We have to push forward and try to be better.”
From a team standpoint, the defence has been absent. Since shutting out the New York Islanders two weeks ago, the Leafs have allowed at least four goals in five of their six games. In three of those matches, it has been at least six goals against. One positive is that Keefe said there’s “a chance” defenceman Jake Muzzin will return from a broken right foot to play in Nashville.
Keefe referred after the game to the team’s immaturity, bringing up the lopsided loss in Florida last Sunday as well.
“It’s the discipline, it’s the consistency to be able to (play well) all the time,” Keefe said. “That’s what we’re looking for, and that’s what is reflected in the immaturity of our group.
“It’s a sign of where you are, that you’re not where you want to be. Reality checks come. It’s on me to help bring that (immaturity) out of them. But there’s some reflection (from the players) about what we want to be about.”
Defenceman Timothy Liljegren put his name in the team record book in his National Hockey League debut, becoming the 1,000th player in Leafs franchise history as Keefe went with seven defencemen and 11 forwards.
“Pretty nervous,” said Liljegren, who was paired with Rasmus Sandin. “But after a couple of shifts, you get things going. It was fun being the 1,000th player, but getting that first game feels good, for sure.”
After the game, Liljegren and forward Adam Brooks were returned to the Toronto Marlies.
HUTCH SHRUGS
Michael Hutchinson hears the whispers — that the Leafs are seeking a backup goaltender as the NHL trade deadline of Feb. 24 inches closer.
And specifically, that the Leafs are keen on Alexandar Georgiev of the New York Rangers, though we have not yet read a reasonable explanation as to why the Rangers would be willing to deal the 23-year-old.
“I don’t really follow it, it’s out of my control,” Hutchinson said. “Since training camp, I just show up every day and take it one day at a time.
There is no point losing sleep over it.
“You learn so much over the course of your career and I have been through a lot. You learn to focus on what you can control and showing up and working hard and being a good teammate. What the team decides to do, your playing time and stuff like that is completely out of your control.”
Hutchinson is 3-7-1 with an .885 save percentage in 12 games.
GAME ON
For the fourth time this season, the Leafs allowed at least three goals in the first period as Chicago built a 3-0 lead. Drake Caggiula took a puck off the end boards and bounced it in off Andersen at 21 seconds, and from there it went south, with captain Jonathan Toews dancing past Brooks to beat Andersen between the legs at 5:32 and Brandon Saad firing a shot over Andersen’s right shoulder at 11:02. The goals came on Chicago’s first six shots … William Nylander tied his career high when he scored on a Leafs power play at 25 seconds of the second, giving him 22 goals … Toews restored the three-goal lead at 3:19 and Dominik Kubalik got the fifth Hawks goal at 10:58. On the next routine save, Andersen heard the Bronx cheer from fans … Hawks superstar Patrick Kane had one assist, giving him 999 career points … After a Leafs goal by Alex Kerfoot, Kubalik scored his second. It was a beauty, giving him 20 to lead all NHL freshmen, coming when he batted a Toews pass out of the air and past Andersen while charging to the net late in the second.
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