3 tips from Leafs-Senators: A brutal display in the Battle of Ontario further underlines the need to sell

For all intents and purposes, Toronto’s season has been over for weeks, and an embarrassing loss to a provincial rival should further underscore the need to sell aggressively ahead of the NHL trade deadline. It was a brutal showing from the Maple Leafs, with no discernible system or positives on display.

“It was embarrassing to be honest with you. We have to take more pride in our play,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said after the game.

Here are three takeaways from the Leafs’ loss to the Senators:

Maple Leafs collapsed after Morgan Rielly’s opening goal

It’s a footnote now, but the Maple Leafs actually started the game well. John Tavares drew a rough penalty on Dylan Cozens during the opening shift of the match. Morgan Rielly converted an Auston Matthews feed just as the ensuing power play expired and the Maple Leafs appeared to be rolling. Rielly’s goal was the real demarcation point, as the Maple Leafs completely collapsed from that point on.

Toronto didn’t make a shot in the final 16:57 of the first period and was outshot 16-2 during the first frame. Shot attempts were 28-4 in Ottawa’s favor, while Toronto controlled just four percent of expected goals at 5-on-5. Ottawa maintained constant possession while Toronto dropped passes and didn’t play any discernible system throughout the game.

Although the Senators took control from the five minute mark, the score was still level at the first break. Cozens cleared a rebound off Thomas Chabot’s point shot when Troy Stecher failed to box out (in what was an overall poor game after the distance addition) and the Senators never looked back.

Drake Batherson extended the Senators’ lead as Auston Matthews’ line looked completely lost and out of control on defense. William Nylander responded immediately, but Batherson added his second goal of the game a minute later and the Maple Leafs fell completely flat. It wasn’t just that the Maple Leafs lost, it was the uninspired way they were defeated. This could be the last look at this version of the Maple Leafs as we know them.

Craig Berube seems to have no answers anymore

Craig Berube appears to be a coach without answers. Berube preached a north-south edict for the better part of two seasons, a philosophy that was roundly ignored in favor of the free-form chaos we saw on Saturday. And if the role of the head coach is to extract the maximum value from the squad in front of him, it’s fair to say that Berube has failed profoundly this season.

With 22 games remaining, Berube hasn’t found any line combinations he’s comfortable with, or that seem to work remotely effectively. Berube was tasked with transforming a talented attacking team into a pragmatic, defensively responsible side. He hasn’t fulfilled that mandate and it appears he may run out of answers during his second year behind the Maple Leafs bench.

“I have to figure it out with the guys here. That’s my job,” Berube said after the game.

Easton Cowan needs more ice time

Cowan used his speed and opportunism to create plays for his linemates, including a Nicolas Roy shot that hit the crossbar in the second frame. He never gave up plays even though the Senators controlled possession throughout the game.

During the final minute of the match, Cowan broke free, but was stopped by Linus Ullmark on a breakaway attempt. As the Maple Leafs head toward a re-tool, Cowan will need more than the 13:34 he achieved on Saturday.

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