Already, the Maple Leafs are assigning blame to unidentified foes.
It’s evident that not everything is going well in the land of Maple Leafs. Usually, we have to wait until the postseason, but here we are hardly halfway through, and some of them have already started to take aim at imaginary foes like the merciless barbarians in the media who, while primarily nice when they are performing well, pose more challenging questions when they are not.
Professional sports teams in general, not just the Toronto hockey club, follow this time-honored custom. They frequently turn their personal hardships into a focal point. It’s the mindset of “us versus them.” It would be even better if you could include something about adversity.
The Maple Leafs were ahead in the third period on Tuesday for the fourth straight game, but they lost it. They had a 2-0 lead over the Oilers in this one, but they gave up four consecutive goals. With a record of 21-13-8, they are currently closer to missing the playoffs than they are to the NHL’s top two teams, the Panthers and the Bruins.
While other Canadian teams—Edmonton has won 11 straight games, Winnipeg has won 9 out of 10, and Vancouver is still leading the Pacific—are having fantastic seasons, Toronto is struggling. Just five of its previous 14 games have it triumphed, and those four came against Anaheim, Columbus, and the-sack San Jose Sharks twice.
Following the 4-2 loss to the Oilers, Mitch Marner declared, “We have to ignore what everyone else says because we are a great hockey team.” Though it’s a little early in the calendar, this refrain is recognizable. “Every night, we screen it. We’ve played some fantastic hockey and held leads in the last four games. Things work out for you sometimes and not at all.
“No frustration is seeping in, but I believe a lot of people are attempting to do so from the outside.” That is our experience.
There might be a plot against the Maple Leafs. Alternatively, it could be that they continue to blow leads and are starting to experience internal pressure. Should they not be, they ought to be.
The Oilers are now three wins ahead of them after a disastrous start. There are also 21 for the Coyotes and Penguins. There’s only two less for the Buffalo Sabres stuck in the snow.
There isn’t much proof Toronto is a wonderful city. It is fortunate to have a number of other guys and four or five elite players. Not so much a team as an individual.
The Maple Leafs travel to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, the Calgary Flames on Thursday, and the Canucks on Saturday. They then have two games against the Jets. With this schedule, there might be more turbulence experienced.
For stretches of time, we are playing well,” defenseman Morgan Rielly stated. “We’re doing well. Our group is close-knit. We have motivation. Positive things are occurring. We are not depressed in the slightest.
Addicts who are used to these kinds of downturns will concur that this is a fantastic teaching moment. Some will perceive it as nothing more than the Maple Leafs being Maple Leafs.
The TSN analyst Craig Button stated on Tuesday night, “I don’t care about the good things they are doing.” Every team performs admirably during a match. What do you know? It is insufficient. That’s the main point.
“This is my message to the supporters of the Toronto Maple Leafs: You are incapable of handling the truth. This is all there is to it. It’s not very good, but you want people like me to come up here and tell you how great your team is.
There’s more.
Button went on, “They know how to fold and they don’t know how to hang on to leads.” “There are structural positional issues with this team. The coach must implement a stronger defensive scheme and assist the players in understanding it. In my opinion, Sheldon Keefe needs to find answers, or else someone else should be brought in.
The Detroit Red Wings will move up to a wild card spot if they defeat Florida in Sunrise on Wednesday night. In the event of a Panthers victory, they will lead the Maple Leafs by nine points.
When questioned about how he would get his team out of its slump following the thrilling game but disappointing loss to the Oilers, Keefe became a little defensive.
“It’s been, what, eight days?” he inquired. Is that a pattern? We had won four straight the week before that.
Indeed, this is a trend—and a bad one at that.
