The Toronto Maple Leafs’ latest stumble looked a lot like the ones before it: a decent opening stretch, then a sharp drop-off that left them chasing the game and the result.
Toronto was blanked 4-0 by the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, its third straight loss and its fifth defeat in six games. After Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs again managed to stay level early, matching New Jersey shot for shot in the first period at seven apiece.
But the second period turned the night for good. The Devils seized control, built a 2-0 lead and outshot Toronto 13-6.
For Auston Matthews, the pattern was impossible to ignore.
“It’s kind of the same story,” Matthews said. “I thought we had a good first period. It’s just been tough for us to string together momentum and consistency through 60 minutes of play, and that’s really just been our Achilles’ heel all season long.”
Head coach Jim Hiller saw it the same way. Toronto’s best stretch came early, but once New Jersey’s top players found room, the Leafs couldn’t keep up.
“Not a good game for us,” Hiller added. “First period, I thought, was all right.
Obviously, that was our best period, and not much going on, which I think probably benefited us tonight. And once a couple of their top players broke loose, we had a hard time with them.”
The loss dropped Toronto to 8-9-2. The club is tied for the league lead with 19 games played, and the first month-plus has already been marked by a long injury list. The Leafs were without Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev and Jack Roslovic before forward Colton Sissons left Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury.
Toronto did get former captain John Tavares back on Saturday, but it is still missing star addition Kirill Marchenko, who has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on Oct. 26.
“We have a lot of guys that are out right now, which is tough,” Matthews said. “But it’s that next-man-up mentality. Everybody’s just got to ask a little bit more of themselves and go from there and just be better.”
The schedule doesn’t ease up much from here, with the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers all coming to town this week.
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