Three first-period goals and a horrendous opening period by the Toronto Maple Leafs were all it took for the Florida Panthers to come out victorious with a 5-1 win on Thursday night in Sunrise.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including an empty-netter, while Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues, and Matthew Tkachuk rounded out the scoring. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves.
Related: Maple Leafs Mishandling Easton Cowan With Multiple Scratches
John Tavares scored the lone goal for the Maple Leafs, and while they tested Bobrovsky as the night went on, a lackluster first period set the tone for the rest of the night.
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’re going to hear a lot between Thursday night and Toronto’s next game on Saturday, and for good reason. It’s a really urgent time. Before the puck dropped against the Panthers, the Leafs were six points back of the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot, and the Panthers were right on their heels, just two points behind. So in the context of these games as a whole, there is an urgency to collect two points every single night.
In order to give yourself a chance to grab those points, it is crucial to start these games with said urgency, and the Maple Leafs simply did not do that on Thursday. Against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, I thought they played okay, but were simply outmatched by a much superior team. Against the Panthers, they didn’t even give themselves a chance, being outshot 16-6 in the first, and down 2-0 before a third of the fans were even in their seats.
“We have no time to take shifts off and periods off,” head coach Craig Berube said on Thursday night. “We’re not in that mode. It’s always hard (to maintain confidence). It’s my job to instill that confidence in our guys. I stay confident. I know what these guys are capable of doing. I have to get it out of them.”
Take shifts off? Take periods off? I’m sorry, but in my mind, if this team is out of a playoff spot and “taking shifts off”, then it feels like they don’t have the confidence that Burube is alluding to. They don’t believe they can play games in late April.
“You’d like to have more of a 60-minute effort,” Auston Matthews said. “I’d say our start was the biggest issue tonight. I think we should have had the energy and the desperation that we need to start the game that we had in the second and third periods.”
He’s right about the start, and he’s right about the desperation. At this point in the season, I find both of those issues highly concerning. Does Matthews?
“I don’t think ‘concern’ is the right word,” Matthews said. “I just think we need more desperation, more fire, especially to start games. We know the position we’re in and we need to be a more desperate team.”
Where Is Easton Cowan?
Easton Cowan was a healthy scratch for the fifth game in a row, and when you factor in 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 bit of a wall,” Berube said. “We won three in a row. I kept the same lineup going into Tampa. I don’t believe his development is being hurt. He’s improved this year, as the year went along. He still has the swagger that’s needed. He’s a confident kid. He’s got to get in there and play.”
So… why isn’t he in the lineup?
“We’ve got to make decisions on people. That’s what it boils down to.”
And there it is. The Maple Leafs are putting some items on the clearance rack, which means a player like Cowan might not get the ice time he needs.
Where Is the Optimism?
After winning three in a row before the break, the Maple Leafs fell flat on their faces with two straight losses. Playoff hopes are not completely in the wind, but it’s getting awfully close, and it has been for quite some time.
The good news is that the Maple Leafs have four straight games against non-playoff teams before welcoming the Lightning to Scotiabank Arena next Saturday, which is the day after the trade deadline. So, maybe they can take advantage and go on a bit of a run here. Maybe.
On Wednesday, they were fighting for their lives in Tampa Bay. What exactly will this team look like when they face the Lightning next?
