The Toronto Maple Leafs are reeling. Tuesday night’s 7-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres capped off a winless homestand and extended their losing streak to five games. What started as a promising stretch has turned into a full-blown skid, and with the playoff race tightening, time is no longer on their side.
Captain Auston Matthews didn’t sugarcoat it postgame.
“It’s tough,” he said. “We started well, had a couple of bad breaks, but battled back to even the score. Then it just felt like every time we gained momentum, we gave it right back.”
That quote pretty much sums up where the Leafs are right now - caught in a cycle of inconsistency that’s costing them dearly. The final score might suggest Buffalo ran away with it, but for 40 minutes, this was a back-and-forth battle.
Toronto even held the lead twice. But when the Sabres struck just 16 seconds into the third period, the Leafs never recovered.
Buffalo took control, and Toronto simply couldn’t match the urgency.
And urgency, or the lack thereof, is becoming a theme.
“There’s really no excuse,” Matthews said. “That just can’t happen.
Going into the third, we’re in a good spot, down one goal. We just have to have more of a sense of urgency.
We have to be a more desperate team than the opponent each and every night, especially where we are at.”
This isn’t just about one bad game. Two weeks ago, Toronto had clawed its way into a wildcard spot.
Now, they’re nearly 10 points out. That’s a steep fall in a short time, and the clock is ticking.
With just four games left before the Olympic break, the Leafs are heading out on the road for what could be a make-or-break trip.
“We’ve got a road trip and four games left, and you want to make the most of it,” Matthews added. “We’ve got to be more desperate as a team for the whole entire game.
Going back on the road, it’s a great time for us to be together, to regroup mentally, physically, and take it one game at a time. Obviously these games are extremely important.”
There’s no mystery about what needs to change. The Leafs have the talent - that’s never been the issue.
But right now, it’s about consistency, urgency, and a full 60-minute effort. With the playoff picture slipping further out of reach, they’ll need to find all three in a hurry.
Next up: a Thursday night matchup in Seattle against the Kraken. The road could be just what this team needs - or it could be the stretch that defines their season.