TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs have learned how to be comfortable being comfortable.
A season-best five-game win streak and a promotion to the Atlantic Division penthouse has afforded the team the luxury of easing off the gas, safe in the knowledge that the playoffs are a given and they’ll get back to playing urgent, inspired hockey another day.
Because they certainly didn’t bother matching the intensity or desperation of their opponent, the Vancouver Canucks, whose delayed and de-iced plane touched down at YYZ just five hours before puck drop and still looked very much like the more rested and in-sync squad in a 3-0 road shutout.
“Outworked us, outcompeted us, and that’s why they won,” said Toronto’s no-nonsense Chris Tanev. “We need to play our game better. That’s why we lost.”
“We’re not connected as five. We’re not helping support each other, and that’s where they took advantage of us and scored some goals.”
If the Maple Leafs appeared disconnected on a lacklustre night the boo birds swirled for the final four minutes before the merciful end buzzer, they also sounded disconnected postgame.
While Tanev wasn’t mining for moral victories or polishing off tiny positives, the long-serving members of Toronto’s core weren’t so critical.
Mitch Marner on the Leafs’ effort: “I liked it. I mean, I thought we played well. I really did. I think just last couple games we’ve been giving up plays to teams that aren’t missing on them.”
“If you look at the score afterwards, it doesn’t look that good,” added Morgan Rielly, a minus-8 over his past eight games. “But, you know, it’s a close game.”
And captain Auston Matthews: “I thought we had chances. Just couldn’t capitalize. And I just thought we couldn’t really get momentum on our side. A lot of one-and-done. Just felt a little bit disconnected for most of the game.”
The travel-weary visitors simply wanted and needed — and, thus, deserved — the two points more.
Here’s a damning stat, and a reason to justify boos: The Canucks won 64.3 per cent of puck battles, according to Sportlogiq, despite leading from the first shot of the game.
“I don’t think we won any of the rebound battles,” Berube said.
Here’s another one: The Maple Leafs were the only team that went on the power-play Saturday. Thrice, in fact. Yet the shots on Toronto’s man advantage were even, 2-2.
In 2025, Toronto’s $52-million power-play packs all the inspiration of an Oasis reunion concert.
“There’s a lot of movement. A lot of nothing going on, I guess. And I just think we can do a better job of simplifying it,” Matthews said. “More shots to the net, and then letting things open up from there.”
“Power play’s gotta be way better,” Marner agreed.
The Maple Leafs don’t generate enough at even-strength to go deep with an 18th-ranked power play. And while Berube is quick to make small tweaks (changing the point man, flipping to five forwards), he continues to place his trust and his ice time in the ‘Core Four’ to figure it out.
What does the coach want to see from that top unit?
“Shooting the puck. Moving it quick. Like, crisp pace. Attacking. Shooting at the net,” Berube said. “That gives you a momentum, for sure.”
So, how does the coach shake his stars out of this midseason malaise, a dip that should look eerily familiar to Toronto’s loyal fan base?
Well, Berube at least sensed this coming. He wasn’t thrilled with a couple closer-than-necessary wins over the rebuilding Flyers.
Nor was he pleased with the tempo of Saturday’s morning skate, after giving his skaters a break from practice to enjoy a fun day off during the mentors’ trip.
“Let’s f—– go!” Berube growled as the Leafs ran through drills.
We imagine the coach expressing a similar sentiment during intermission — and at Monday’s practice.
“I didn’t think we had enough pace in the game or played with enough energy. Maybe it’s travel or whatever,” Berube said.
“We need more life and energy.”
For Tanev, a first-year Leaf offering a refreshing perspective, the result reflects the performance.
It’s that simple.
“Look at the score clock at the end of the night, and you lose 3-0,” Tanev said. “Obviously, it’s not how we want to play.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• A box brimming with Börje Salming’s friends and family members journeyed over from Sweden for the game. Maybe let them stick around for the Stars on Tuesday so they can celebrate a goal?
• Dennis Hildeby got the nod in net Saturday in the wake of a shaky outing in Carolina for Joseph Woll, who will be back in the crease Tuesday versus Dallas.
“Wollsy’s played a lot,” Berube noted.
The start was the first from either third-stringer, Hildeby or Matt Murray, that didn’t occur on a back-to-back.
He could’ve used some run support.
• A wrench got tossed into the Canucks’ travel plans when snowfall prevented their plane from flying to Toronto on Friday night following their 2-0 defeat to the Hurricanes. They scrambled to make puck drop on game day.
“It’s just weird. You get up at 9 and you don’t get into Toronto until 2. It’s only like an hour flight, but it’s a lot of de-icing. It took a while to get in from [the airport]. We had a police escort, but it wasn’t fast today,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “It was wild.”
With extra time on their hands, Tocchet and fellow ex-Coyote Conor Garland reminisced over the time Arizona got stuck on a tarmac until 5 a.m. before eventually taking off for St. Louis. They shutout the Blues 4-0 on minimal rest.
“You can overcome stuff,” Tocchet said. “I know it was a tough day, but you can’t use excuses.”
• The absence of Jake McCabe, who missed a third straight game following his tough fight with Garnet Hathaway, is being felt. The shutdown defenceman did resume skating Saturday, though.
No timeline is set for his return.
“We’ll see how it keeps going, but he feels good and he’s doing well,” Berube says. “That’s the best update I can give you.”
The coach is also hopeful Anthony Stolarz (knee) can resume skating on his own this week. Stolarz was originally given a timeline of four to six weeks to return. We’ve passed the four-week mark.
• Here’s ex-Canuck and current Maple Leaf Oliver Ekman-Larsson on playing for a couple intense Canadian cities:
“Two markets that are very passionate about hockey. But that’s what you want. You want people to care. You want people to care about what you do and have a lot of passion. So, in that way, it’s pretty similar. But obviously, I don’t think it gets much better than Toronto.”
