CHICAGO — The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying their hardest.
That, at once, is both the most encouraging and devastating aspect of their five-game winless skid (0-4-1).
The last time this hockey team only mustered one standings point over a five-game stretch, they weren’t putting forth an honest effort.
That was six Novembers ago. Those supremely talented 2019 Leafs were coasting; they were fine with their coach being fired.
So, we wonder — in the immediate aftermath of another blown lead and another regulation loss — if this stretch of L’s, this downturn of confidence, may feel like a regular-season low point of the can’t-miss-playoffs Leafs era?
“Whenever you’re in something that’s challenging, it’s all-consuming, and it can feel that way. But there’s a lot of belief with our team — and that’s powerful,” said Morgan Rielly, the longest-tenured Leaf, following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the upstart Chicago Blackhawks.
“I know for a fact the compete level, the desire is there. And, you know, at times it might be too much. So, you start squeezing the stick, you start overthinking things, because you just want to do the thing and win the game.”
The grind is real right now in Leafland, where six regulation wins through 19 games has the franchise on pace to miss the post-season for the first time since it strategically tanked to draft Auston Matthews.
The grind is physical: Defenceman Brandon Carlo (lower body) was added Saturday to an injured list that already includes Matthews, Chris Tanev, Scott Laughton, and Anthony Stolarz.
The grind is mental: At United Center, the Maple Leafs built a 2-1 lead on the strength of some refreshingly elongated offensive-zone shifts and earned a 19-9 edge in high-danger chances. But when a depth defenceman got danced and a dangerous stick couldn’t get tied up, the lead vanished in the third.
Hardly a calling card of what is supposed to be the better, more veteran group. The coughed-up leads are surprising to coach Craig Berube because Toronto was so solid at locking away two points last season.
“We’re just a little bit unconfident, I’d say, right now,” Berube said. “But got to get through that, because we got the leads, and we have an opportunity to close this game out, win it. And we get a power play in the third, and we don’t do anything with it either.”
What can Berube do to coach some confidence back into his room?
“That’s a good question,” he replied. “I mean, I got to motivate them the best way I can. And maybe it’s a kick in the ass. But maybe it’s positive reinforcement, too.”
He’s choosing Door No. 2, which speaks to his group’s fragile state.
Berube is forgiving rookie Easton Cowan for a panicky puck-over-glass penalty in crunch time. He’s resisting the urge to point out that his most dangerous weapon hasn’t hit a net in two games. Or that poor Philippe Myers — reduced to 8:47 of work in this one — has been a disaster since signing his two-year contract extension.
The grind is also emotional, and the Leafs wanted this one for their goaltender, Joseph Woll. Number 60 returned to NHL action after a nearly six-month break between starts.
“We’re competitors, and all we care about is winning. And the frustration mounts. It builds. You know, confidence dwindles away, so you got to manufacture it at times. And you take positives here and there,” said a sage Jake McCabe.
“A positive for me tonight was seeing 60 back in there. I thought he did a phenomenal job. I just told him it was super good seeing him back in there and grinding and battling, and he was composed all night. He played great with the puck. So, that gives me a lot of joy, just seeing him doing his thing out there. It was awesome.”
Woll stopped 29 of 32 pucks fired his way. He struck that comforting balance between calm and aggressive. He looked like a real NHL goalie, even if his insides were swirling.
“A mix of probably every different emotion. Little nervous, little excited. But just being out there on that sheet was pretty cool,” Woll said.
“Felt pretty solid, and felt like I was moving well, seeing the puck well.”
The Maple Leafs have been shaken to the point where they must accentuate the positives. Their first periods have been better lately. Their goaltender has returned and looks sharp. And their urgency is intact if, at times, misplaced.
“I mean, we’re working hard. I don’t think the lost games as of late is defining us as a team. I mean, we’re right there. It’s just kind of frustrating, but hopefully it ends soon,” said Nick Robertson, who has put up nine points in his past nine games.
“I just think we needed a little bit of luck, and we’re going through adversity right now. But it brings teams together, right? You know, we’re in the thick of it, and we got to work together to get out of it.”
Together the Maple Leafs will blow off some steam Saturday night in Chicago. The injured guys made the trip, too. A big players-only dinner. An extra night away from the noise of Toronto — to bond, to vent, to hopefully turn the tide.
“Challenges like this, if you’re able to deal with them appropriately,” Rielly noted, “they can end up being positives down the road.”
It’s an unpredictable league, and the standings are as messy as some of the neutral-zone play that unfolded Saturday in Chicago.
Perhaps the Leafs will look back on this five-game funk as rock bottom.
“Stay positive. I mean, there’s nothing else we can do,” Robertson said.
“I mean, you’re not gonna sit here and be sorry for ourselves. We got to come in and compete in the next game and work hard — and that’s what we’re doing. I mean, our competitiveness is there, our will to win is there.”
Serious question about this group, which is trying now: Is that enough?
Fox’s Fast Five
• Wayne Gretzky extolled the virtues of third-year Bedard on a recent TNT broadcast, noting that he should have the attention of Hockey Canada’s decision-makers.
“He’s playing his way onto Team Canada,” the Great One proclaimed.
Bedard heard the endorsement.
“Nice of him. Probably the biggest figure in hockey history. So, if he’s talking about you, that’s obviously a good thing,” a humbled Bedard told reporters at morning skate. “Feels good that he likes what he sees out of me.”
• As explosive as Bedard has been this season, he has yet to light it up against the Leafs.
The star has no goals and just one assist in five games versus Toronto.
On this night, Woll & Co. snuffed out Bedard’s nine-game point streak and four-game goal streak. Bedard also took a tripping penalty and won just 20 per cent of his draws.
“I feel like every year they start the first 10, 15 games (slow), and the whole city’s kinda panicked,” Bedard said of Toronto. “They’re a good team.”
Teuvo Teräväinen, on the other hand, had himself a moment…
• Fun moment this morning during Jeff Blashill’s scrum. (Watch at the two-minute mark below.)
The Blackhawks coach was in the middle of answering a question about Ilya Mikheyev when the Dexys Midnight Runners’ 1982 banger “Come On Eileen” began blasting from the visitors’ room.
Blashill lost his train of thought and caught a groove, bobbing his head.
“I used to dance to this in college. I would, like, jump up and down. This is bringing back unreal memories.”
• The David Kämpf bidding war is over, and the fourth-line centre is cashing in to the tune of $1.1 million for one year in Vancouver. (Montreal also made a pitch, Elliotte Friedman reports.)
That makes the player whole for this season, since he already cashed $1.33 million in a signing bonus from Toronto. The player is betting on himself to earn a raise in 2026-27 and claws back a decent chunk of the additional $2.4 million he walked away from in Toronto.
In the meantime, Kämpf keeps his NHL career afloat and showcases himself for an Olympic bid.
• Ex-Leaf and human yardsale Tyler Bertuzzi missed his second game this season and is dealing with an undisclosed injury. His knack around the net (nine goals) was missed. So was his yapping.
“It’s funny where he sits on the bench. He’s always in a spot where he can chirp the other team,” Frank Nazar said. “He makes me laugh and lightens the mood.”
Bertuzzi made sure to hang around the hallway to share some laughs with Leafs bestie Max Domi following the game.
