The Toronto Maple Leafs held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Monday before flying to Montreal.
After Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak in Toronto on Saturday night, Lightning coach Jon Cooper threw a life preserver to Leafs fans swimming in a sea of negativity.
“They have a fabulous core still,” Cooper told reporters. “If they don’t make it, this will probably be a one-off for them, because they got a good group.”
That assessment from a two-time Stanley Cup champion resonated in the Leafs’ dressing room.
“You look around this room and you see the talent, the skill base that we have here,” said winger Matthew Knies. “I agree with what he says. I think we’ll be back and stronger than ever.”
“I remember the Lightning missed the playoffs one year and then the next year they’re back at the top of the division, competing,” centre Auston Matthews noted. “A team like Boston that had a down year and same thing, like, they’re in the mix [this season]. You know, sometimes it happens.”
With sniper Steven Stamkos limited to just 17 games due to injury, the Lightning missed the playoffs in the 2016-17 season. Cooper’s crew rebounded to reach the Conference Final in the 2017-18 season before eventually claiming Stanley Cup titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The Boston Bruins sold at the deadline last year and finished 28th overall. But Boston bounced back immediately and currently hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“We’ve been fortunate to be in the playoffs for the last nine years,” said Matthews, who has two years remaining on his contract beyond this season. “So, you kind of hope that it’s, like what [Cooper’s] saying, a one-off and we can continue to build and continue to be in contention. Obviously, the focus is on right now and trying to get our game back and then trying to get in the win column. But, you know, obviously, it’s something you think about.”
Toronto has qualified for the playoffs in every season since drafting Matthews first overall in 2016. That run appears destined to end this spring. The Leafs are winless (0-5-2) since the Olympic break and have fallen 11 points out of a playoff spot with 18 games to go.
“We do have a good core,” said coach Craig Berube. “I think we have a lot of good players here. I do believe in all of these guys. It has just been a down year. We have not done a good enough job to put ourselves in a better spot here moving forward. We will just keep fighting here for the rest of the season, see what happens, and make decisions at the end of the year.”
‘We’ll be back and stronger than ever’: Leafs agree with Cooper that season can be a one-off After their win over Toronto, Jon Cooper said he believes the Maple Leafs ‘down year’ is a one-off and they’ll be right back in the thick of things next year. The Leafs are also hopeful that will be the case and believe in the pieces they have in their room.
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Toronto’s path back to contender status likely starts with Matthews returning to his top level.
“It took a little bit for me to get going,” Matthews admitted when asked about his season. “And then I thought in December I kind of started to find my game.”
Matthews scored 16 goals in 26 games from Dec. 4 to Jan. 27. Since then, though, he’s gone cold.
Matthews failed to score in the four games before the Olympic break and has been held without a goal in all seven games since returning from his gold-medal run with Team USA in Milan.
“It’s been tough stretch for everybody, myself personally, and us as a team,” Matthews said. “We’re having a tough time creating offence, finding the back of the net.”
This is the second-longest drought in Matthews’ NHL career and his longest dry spell since a 13-game run in his rookie season.
“Just trying to still play like a complete game,” Matthews said of his mindset. “I mean, I know, especially at home, you’re going to get a lot of tough matchups, you get a lot of D-zone starts, stuff like that. So just trying to stick with it and compete on both sides of the puck and go from there.”
Matthews has landed 30 shots on net during the last seven games, which is third in the NHL since the Olympic break behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Timo Meier.
“He does get his looks,” Berube noted. “He has hit some posts, and the goalies have made good saves. I talked to the whole team today about getting a little more greasy around the net, getting to the blue paint, and getting more pucks to that area. Tampa scored two goals by doing that; one goes off a guy, and it bounces off [Jake McCabe]. It is just putting pucks into those areas. I think we can all do a better job as a whole team of getting more pucks into the blue paint and getting some second and third looks around there. Sometimes, that is what you have to do to score some goals when it is tough.”
Matthews is on pace for 34 goals this season, which would be the second-lowest total of his career.
“Some of it is just bounces, really,” said Knies. “It’s a lot of the other guys on our team too [that] are kind in the same boat. I feel like I could be doing a lot better offensively and contributing a lot more. It’s everyone. Our power play hasn’t been great all season too. I don’t think it’s necessarily all on him.”
Matthews has just four power-play goals this season with the last one coming on Jan. 1. Toronto is clicking at 19.3 per cent on the man advantage this season, which is 20th overall.
Matthews scored a career-low 33 goals last season while dealing with a nagging back injury. While he has missed six games due to injury this season, the 28-year-old is happy with how he’s holding up physically.
“You’re always going to have bumps and bruises and that’s just the nature of the season,” he said. “For the most part, been healthy and it’s a positive.”
Matthews scored 69 goals in the 2023-24 season and potted 60 en route to a Hart Trophy in the 2021-22 season. He’s a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner.
“I’m confident that he’ll get back to that form,” said Knies. “It’s just going to take a few bounces, and we’ll have to have good special teams and guys around [him] are going to have to chip in a little bit too.”
‘Tough stretch for everybody’: Leafs confident Matthews can rediscover Rocket-winning form Auston Matthews hasn’t scored in 11 games with the Maple Leafs and the team still hasn’t won since returning from the Olympic break. The captain says he’s focused on his ‘complete game’ right now, while Craig Berube wants to see a little more ‘grease’ from his team.
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Morgan Rielly, who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Monday, is one of the players who can chip in more. The defenceman and power-play quarterback has registered just two goals and one assist in the last 14 games.
“We’ve all done some reflecting, and we all want to be better,” Rielly said when asked about his performance this season. “I think that’s what everyone’s feeling, myself included.”
Where can he be better?
“It’s like the team game,” he said. “It’s not just one thing. You want to execute within structure, you want to play well with your [defence] partner, be more effective offensively and that’s what we’re all pushing for.”
“It has been a tough season for the whole team, not just Morgan,” said Berube. “He falls into that category, but it has been a tough season for everybody.”
Rielly is on pace for 41 points, which would equal his total from last year. He’s also been on the ice for more 5-on-5 goals than any other skater this season, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
“I think he has played pretty well recently, to be honest with you,” Berube said. “I do. He and [Brandon] Carlo have been pretty steady for me. Offensively, I think he can provide more. There are times when he can probably jump into the play or just get more pucks to the net from the point, and obviously on the PP. But I think he and Carlo have played pretty well and have been pretty steady for us as of late.”
Berube defends Rielly amid challenging season: ‘He’s played pretty well lately, to be honest’ Morgan Rielly says everyone in the Maple Leafs room has done some self reflecting amid their seven-game losing streak and knows they all need to be better if they want to break out of this slump.
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The Leafs watched as centre Scott Laughton, centre Nicolas Roy, and winger Bobby McMann were traded at the deadline in exchange for draft picks.
“It’s a crappy feeling,” Knies said. “It sucks to see them go.”
Knies, who is in the first season of a six-year contract, admitted to being “a little bit” surprised to hear his name pop up in some rumours.
“I didn’t really look into it too much,” the 23-year-old said. “I feel like in this market everyone is almost a target. Yeah, it is what it is. It’s a business. I guess you earn the attention here. But I don’t want to look into it too much.”
The deadline seemed to weigh on the team. Defenceman Simon Benoit, who was on TSN’s trade bait list, noted that this is the first time he faced such speculation.
“I love being here,” he said. “They gave me a chance so obviously I want to play for this logo. I try my hardest out there. Obviously, it’s not going the way I wish it would go.”
‘With this market everyone’s almost a target’: Knies ‘a little surprised’ name popped up at deadline Matthew Knies discusses the trade deadline and admits he was a ‘little surprised’ to hear his name pop up in the rumour mill last week.
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The hope was the deadline passing would help the Leafs play with a little more freedom on Saturday, and Toronto did score first goal against Tampa Bay. But the Lightning responded immediately and piled up four unanswered goals in the first period.
Matthews invoked Murphy’s Law when asked about his team’s effort.
“I’m just going to continue to repeat myself here,” Matthews said. “It’s tough. Like, you’re just in a stretch where everything that seems to possibly go wrong, just kind of goes wrong. I don’t think we played terrible. I didn’t think that we didn’t compete. Just thought we had a couple of bad bounces and then a couple of bad breakdowns. And, you know, when we had those breakdowns, the puck just seems to be ending in the back of our net.”
The Leafs were booed off the ice following their eighth straight home defeat. Toronto fans haven’t celebrated a win at Scotiabank Arena since Jan. 10.
“You hate to hear the boos,” said goalie Anthony Stolarz. “Obviously people are going to be frustrated. They’re spending their hard-earned money to come watch us play. It’s just more motivation for us.”
‘More motivation for us’: Leafs booed off ice after eighth straight home loss Fans booed the Leafs off the ice following the team’s eighth straight home loss on Saturday. “You hate to hear the boos,” said goalie Anthony Stolarz. “Obviously people are going to be frustrated. They’re spending their hard-earned money to come watch. It’s just more motivation for us.”
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Berube is hoping an historic rivalry can spark his beleaguered bunch. Toronto will play against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night.
“We have a good chance tomorrow,” he said. “Montreal is probably our biggest rival. If you can’t get fired up for that game and come out with some attitude in that game …”
The coach shifted gears mid-sentence.
“I think we have to get a little uncomfortable right now. We have to get our noses dirty. There is no better time to start than tomorrow.”
The Canadiens occupy the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
“It’s a great opportunity for our group tomorrow to play well in an important game and great building and great matchup,” said Rielly. “There’s no reason why our group shouldn’t be ready to go tomorrow night.”
The Leafs are looking for their first win since Feb. 3.
“We haven’t had that winning feeling in a long time,” Knies said. “Going into such a crazy environment, it’s really easy to get up for.”
‘Come up with some attitude’: Slumping Leafs believe date with Habs will create energy The Maple Leafs are hoping a visit to the Bell Centre on Tuesday night will provide a little spark to help get them out of their seven-game losing streak since returning from the Olympic break.
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Berube split up Matthews and William Nylander at Monday’s practice. Max Domi moved back to the right side of the top line beside Knies and Matthews while Nylander shifted down to the second line with John Tavares and Matias Maccelli.
“We are not producing enough,” Berube explained. “We are not getting enough goals. We are getting looks and some chances, but they are not going in. I sort of went back to the lines from before the break, when we were scoring a little more at that point.”
The Leafs scored 11 goals during a three-game winning streak right before the Olympic break.
With Domi moving back to the wing, Jacob Quillan is taking over as the centre on the third line. The recent call-up skated between Nick Robertson and Easton Cowan at practice.
“Robertson and Cowan had some really good chemistry for a stretch with Nic Roy there,” Berube said. “They were pretty good together. I thought they were good [in practice] today, too.”
Cowan’s development will be a key storyline down the stretch.
“I plan on using Cowboy as much as I can, if it is warranted and he is going,” Berube said. “I’ll move him around.”
Cowan, who is the team’s only rookie, has a goal and an assist in the last three games while logging more than 15 minutes of ice time in each outing.
“I love his energy and ability to transport a puck up the ice,” Berube said of the 20-year-old. “He makes some good plays.”
Berube pointed out that Cowan set up Knies for a great chance in the slot on Saturday night.
“He has a lot of confidence and a lot of energy and that’s a good spark in this locker room,” Knies said. “We’re a little bit of an older team so to have that energy is awesome. He’s been super professional on and off the ice. He’s handled it really maturely. It’s good to see.”
“We’ll just keep working with him on managing his game,” Berube said. “There are times when he could make better decisions with the puck and be a little harder on things at times. For me, he has played pretty well.”
Leafs Ice Chips: Berube splits up Matthews, Nylander and creates kid line Craig Berube said the Maple Leafs haven’t been producing enough offence so he switched up the lines at Monday’s practice. Mark Masters has more on Toronto’s deployment and the creation of the ‘kids line’.
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Lines at Monday’s practice:
Knies – Matthews – Domi
Maccelli – Tavares – Nylander
Cowan – Quillan – Robertson
Joshua – Lorentz – Jarnkrok
Rielly – Carlo
McCabe – Ekman-Larsson
Benoit – Stecher
Myers
Stolarz
Woll
Power play units at Monday’s practice:
QB: Rielly
Flanks: Matthews, Nylander
Middle: Tavares
Down low: Knies
QB: Ekman-Larsson
Flanks: Domi, Maccelli
Middle: Robertson
Net front: Cowan