TORONTO — Three spectators wearing green Grinch masks on their heads and Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys on their backs aimlessly wandered through the Scotiabank Arena concourse minutes before puck drop of Toronto\u2019s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, looking as if they were lost.<\/p>\n
What better way to symbolize the beleaguered fan base of an entire city?<\/p>\n
Disappointment. Anger. Indifference. All those emotions were running sky high as the Maple Leafs attempted to end a three-game losing streak in a season that even general manager Brad Treliving admits has been below standard.<\/p>\n
That Toronto was able to subsequently put together one of its better efforts to defeat Pittsburgh 6-3 certainly was a source for optimism, a commodity that has been scarce in these parts lately.<\/p>\n
But is it the beginning of a trend? Or an arbitrary upward blip for a team (16-15-5) that remains in last place in the Atlantic Division with 37 points entering the NHL\u2019s three-day holiday break?<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s a boost,\u201d coach Craig Berube said. \u201cGoing to have a better Christmas, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you like Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
There hasn\u2019t been a lot to like about the Maple Leafs in recent times, so much so that there have been calls from outside the organization for Berube to be fired. Treliving quickly squashed any such rumors to that end prior to the game Tuesday, holding an impromptu press conference to tell reporters that the coach\u2019s job is not in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Treliving\u2019s comments came less than 24 hours after assistant Marc Savard was relieved of his duties.<\/p>\n
Savard had been in charge of a sputtering Maple Leafs power play that came into the game having scored an NHL-low 12 goals with the man-advantage. That total was one less than the 13 that Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston<\/a> had scored on his own.<\/p>\n