Last night the Toronto maple leaves lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, 3–2but if you only look at the scoreboard, you’re missing the real story. The team played hard. They skated with urgency, battled on the boards and led the game most of the time.
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Much of that spark came from what was previously seen as the bottom of the lineup – from players like Easton Cowan and Nicholas Robertson. To my mind, both brought a kind of energy that was largely absent in Toronto.
Watching the young people raised a question that has been haunting my mind for weeks: can hunger travel upwards? Here I’m thinking more of Cowan, who made a difference in his short time with the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies and translated that into a lot of missed opportunities with the big club last night.
Maple Leafs Fire Starters: Cowan, Robertson and the Edge of Despair
There’s something about watching a player refuse to lose that’s contagious. Cowan lost, and his team lost with him. But you could see the refusal to stop in his game. It was with him in his first real stint of AHL-to-NHL minutes. He acts like a player with something to prove – and he has worked every shift to prove it.
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Every battle along the boards, every attack in the offensive zone, he played with a visible sense of urgency. Robertson was not far behind. Only once did I see him on defense, a little lost. These are young guys whose spots in the lineup aren’t guaranteed, whose minutes come with a reminder that they have to earn every inch. That edge can make a team better, but only if it spreads.
The strange thing about spreading energy is that this rarely happens. Cowan’s energy was palpable last night, but it still didn’t quite carry the team. The flashes were there, but they weren’t contagious enough to completely ignite a skilled core. That’s not a knock on the veterans. But the natural challenge is to integrate a younger, hungrier energy into a team that has failed to break free from its own funk.
The Middle Lost: Veterans, Comfort, and the Silent Disappearance of Responsibility
This is where the Maple Leafs problem has shown itself this season. The veterans, for all their skills and experience, don’t seem to show the fire (urgency) that drives these two young players. They do not lack effort, but desperation seems absent. The rut that comes when you have something to prove was not reflected in the middle of the lineup. Without that fire, small mistakes are magnified, mistakes linger and leads (like last night) quietly slip away during the matches.
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Head coach Craig Berube’s role is crucial here. He was hired to provide structure and accountability and ensure players at every level are doing the right things. But his tools are limited if the players don’t feel like they have something to fight for. Loud “motivation” can only go so far. At some point, the veterans have to pick up the torch or the firecrackers of guys like Cowan will burn out without a trace.
The coach test: Berube and the direction of energy
The challenge for Berube is not just teaching, even though that seemed to be absent at times this season. His greater task is to control an emotional flow. Can the coach create a culture where energy moves in both directions? Where the desperation and fire of younger players elevate the older ones? It’s a fine line. If you push too hard you risk resistance; stay too soft, and the team drifts without focus.
Last night was an example of what is possible when even part of the team embraces that hunger. The Maple Leafs (especially Cowan) never gave up. He played with heart. He was on the ice when the team desperately needed a score that never came. The power play wasn’t working as it should, and they couldn’t finish enough chances. But the effort – the fire – was there.
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It suggests keeping Cowan with the team is a wise move. Robertson also seems to be growing into a meaningful role. He needs more time and space. But with Cowan it becomes more than a developmental choice. It has become a necessary one because of the drive he brings. He is the energy carrier that this team desperately needs.
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