Three first-period goals and a terrible opening period from the Toronto Maple Leafs were all it took for the Florida Panthers to emerge victorious. Won 5-1 in Sunrise on Thursday evening.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including an empty-netter, while Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues and Matthew Tkachuk completed the scoring. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves.
Related: Maple Leafs batter Easton Cowan with multiple scratches
John Tavares scored the lone goal for the Maple Leafs, and while they tested Bobrovsky as the evening wore on, a lackluster first period set the tone for the rest of the evening.
There’s quite a bit to talk about, and none of it is good. So if we dare, let’s dive in.
Where in the world is the urgency?
Urgency. It’s a word you’ll hear a lot between Thursday night and Toronto’s next game on Saturday, and for good reason. It is really an urgent time. Before the puck dropped against the Panthers, the Leafs were six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot, and the Panthers were hot on their heels, just two points behind. So in the context of these games as a whole, there is an urgent need to collect two points every night.
To give yourself a chance to get those points, it’s crucial to start these games with that urgency, and the Maple Leafs simply didn’t do that on Thursday. Against the Lightning in Tampa Bay on WednesdayI thought they played well, but were simply outmatched by a much superior team. They didn’t even give themselves a chance against the Panthers; they were outscored 16-6 in the first inning and trailed 2-0 before a third of the fans were even in their seats.
‘We don’t have time to take shifts and periods off’ Head coach Craig Berube said Thursday evening. “We’re not in that mode. It’s always hard (to maintain confidence). My job is to instill that confidence in our guys. I stay confident. I know what these guys are capable of. I have to get it out of them.”
Abolish services? Taking periods off? I’m sorry, but in my mind, if this team is out of a playoff spot and “freeing up teams”, then it feels like they don’t have the confidence that Burube is referring to. They don’t believe they can play games at the end of April.
“You’d like to do more 60-minute effort,” Auston Matthews said. “I would say our start tonight was the biggest problem. I think we should have had the energy and desperation that we needed to start the game that we had in the second and third periods.”
He’s right about the beginning, and he’s right about the despair. At this point in the season, I find both issues deeply concerning. Matthew?
“I don’t think ‘concern’ is the right word,” Matthews said. “I just think we need more desperation and more fire, especially to start games. We know the position we are in and we need to be a more desperate team.”
Where is Easton Cowan?
Easton Cowan was a healthy scratch for the fifth straight game, and if you count the Olympics, he hasn’t played since Jan. 29. The 20-year-old rookie has seven goals and 17 points in 43 games, which isn’t flashy by any means, but he has the ability to give a stagnant roster a much-needed jump.
But is that what they want?
‘I felt like he hit a wall’ Berube said. “We’ve won three in a row. I kept the same lineup coming into Tampa. I don’t think his development is being harmed. He’s improved this year as the year has gone on. He still has the swagger that’s needed. He’s a confident kid. He’s got to come in and play.”
So…why isn’t he in the lineup?
“We have to make decisions about people. That’s what it comes down to.”
And there it is. The Maple Leafs are putting some items on the clearance shelf, meaning a player like Cowan might not get the ice time he needs.
Where is the optimism?
After winning three straight before halftime, the Maple Leafs fell flat on their faces with two straight losses. The playoff hopes aren’t completely dashed yet, but they’re getting very close, and have been that way for a while.
The good news is that the Maple Leafs have four consecutive games against non-playoff teams before welcoming the Lightning to Scotiabank Arena next Saturday, the day after the trade deadline. So maybe they can take advantage of this and go for a run here. Maybe.
On Wednesday they were fighting for their lives in Tampa Bay. What exactly will this team look like when they next face the Lightning?
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