Matthews talks 'reset' again as Leafs' struggles continue
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have dropped five of their last six games, with their only win during this 1-4-1 run coming via shootout.
"There’s certain stretches that you go through where it’s not there and you just keep battling away as a coach and you gotta hold your players accountable," said Craig Berube. "They need to make their mind up in the room, the importance of the start of the game and 60 minutes, you know, urgency, details, doing things right, playing our game. I didn’t find that we wanted to play our game early enough in this game."
Toronto has held a lead in four of the five losses during this skid.
During Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Senators, the Leafs led 1-0 and 2-1 only to see Ottawa roar back and tie the game quickly. The Senators then took the lead on a power-play goal before the second intermission.
"I thought that their three goals were all about losing battles inside the blue line," Berube said. "We didn’t win enough battles there in that area of the game. It’s urgency for me and details in the first two periods that weren’t there."
The Leafs made a push in the third period, but couldn't break through against a Senators team eager to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. That was the year the Leafs started their run of eight straight playoff appearances.
"Details in our game haven’t quite been there," said Leafs captain Auston Matthews. "It’s on us to figure that out and to just be better. We gotta get it through our head that all these games, especially some of the teams we’re playing, are going to be playoff-like games."
The schedule is unrelenting right now. The Leafs will host the Calgary Flames, who are two points out of a playoff spot, on Monday night. Nathan MacKinnon and the surging Colorado Avalanche will visit Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. Then it's off to New York to face a rested and desperate Rangers side on Thursday.
The Leafs have just one regulation win in their last nine games.
Berube believes the team's leadership group will be able to get things back on track.
"These guys, they want to win," the coach stressed. "Trust me on that. They want to win. There’s a sense of frustration, for sure, and we gotta look past that. We can’t complain about or get undisciplined because teams are checking us hard. And that’s what you gotta get through," Berube said.
"They checked hard. Florida checked hard [during Thursday's 3-2 loss]. Teams are going to check hard. Every game we play, they’re going to check hard and you gotta fight through the check. You gotta fight through the checking."
The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a win on Saturday night, which pushed the Leafs down to third place in the Atlantic Division standings. The teams have the same number of points (81) but Tampa has more regulation wins (33-31).
The Florida Panthers lead the division by four points, although they have played one more game than both Toronto and Tampa Bay. The Panthers will face the New York Islanders on Sunday night.
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Like he did prior to a win in Utah, Matthews spoke about the need for the team to press the reset button.
"Just go back to the basics," agreed goalie Anthony Stolarz. "Go back to training camp, you know, kind of the way we played the first month or two of the season. Just try to re-assess and get back to that mindset, that attitude, that tenacity that we were playing with to start the year and just kind of regroup."
Berube installed a North-South system in training camp, which relies on an effective forecheck. But it was the Senators who were more tenacious in hunting and recovering pucks on Saturday.
"They’re just throwing pucks at the net and kind of turning chicken s--t into chicken soup and just getting bounces," Stolarz said. "Maybe that’s something we can take from them and kind of incorporate into our game because it seems to be working for them."
Berube felt his team didn't shoot enough in the first two periods on Saturday. They tested Linus Ullmark just 12 times through 40 minutes. One of Toronto's two goals was a gift courtesy of an Ullmark giveaway that landed right on the stick of Matthews.
"Just not playing to our level right now," said winger William Nylander, who scored Toronto's other goal on a brilliant individual effort. "I think we just gotta simplify and grind a little bit. That’s it."
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The Senators swept all three games against the Leafs this season, including two games in Toronto.
"They’ve been playing good every time we’ve played them," Nylander said. "Playing good on both sides of the puck. I think that’s what’s important."
Ottawa has won six straight games to move within four points of the Lightning and Leafs in the Atlantic Division standings.
"They’re a hungry team," Matthews said. "I mean, they’ve been through some ups and downs and, you know, a lot of guys that kind of came into the league early on, a lot of high skill and stuff, their game’s matured and they’re playing well as a team right now and they’re making a big push at the moment."
The Senators allowed just three goals in the three games against the Leafs this season.
"They have good structure right now," observed new Leafs defenceman Brandon Carlo. "They're playing well in all three zones. So you can kind of notice that they're playing the right way."
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Saturday's goal was only the second in 5-on-5 play by Matthews over the last 17 games. Toronto's top-line centre missed the team's morning skate on Saturday to get some extra rest, which fueled speculation about his health and what may be hampering the three time Rocket Richard Trophy winner.
Matthews described himself as feeling "fine" after the game. The 27-year-old is reluctant to go into detail on health-related questions.
"It’s that point in the season where everybody is grinding through something right now," he said. "So, yeah, it is what it is. Just gotta keep pushing, keep trying to do what I can do, compete out there, just try to keep generating opportunities."
Matthews missed 15 games earlier in the season due to a nagging upper-body injury. He missed a game at the 4 Nations Face-Off with another unrelated injury.
Matthews was basically away from home from the end of January until Tuesday, because of Toronto's road-heavy schedule and the 4 Nations event.
"This time of year there’s always guys that are playing hurt or banged up and stuff and he’s no different," Berube said. "But he’ll fight through it. He doesn’t want any sympathy. He’ll fight through it."
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Stolarz made his 25th start of the season on Saturday, which established a new career high.
"I feel good," he said of his increased workload this season. "I mean, at the end of the day, you’re a professional athlete, your job is to be ready, be in shape. I’ve been working hard in the gym and no fatigue, feel good out there, and moving well so everything’s been fine."
Stolarz, like the team, is looking to tighten up his game.
"Just the margin of error so small right now," he said. "For me, it’s you gotta make saves. Linus at the end made some saves and that’s what it boils down to."
Stolarz has not picked up a win since the calendar flipped to March, going 0-3-1 with an .876 save percentage.
Joseph Woll is also dealing with a dip in play right now. He has an .871 save percentage in his last four starts.
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Scott Laughton left Saturday's game after taking an errant high stick to the eye area in the third period. Berube said the newly-acquired centre needed stitches but would be fine.
Laughton dropped the gloves with Ridly Greig earlier in the game.
"He’s a guy that likes to play with an edge," Matthews said. "Pretty great to see that. Obviously he’s a newer guy around here, but a lot of us know him from different camps, being from Toronto, stuff like that, so I think he’s fit in really well here and it’s always exciting to see a guy do that."
Carlo, meanwhile, picked up his first point as a Leaf by assisting on the Nylander goal.
"I feel like I'm getting there," he said of the adjustment to a new team. "I feel like these guys are easy to find in certain ways. They do a great job moving around, making themselves available for passes and breakouts."
What's the transition been like off the ice?
"It's different. Being in a hotel all the time, a little bit different. But I have my wife and my daughter up here right now, which has been a blessing, for sure. So yeah, just trying to have as much fun and experience the city in the ways that we can. And, yeah, trying to make more of a home out of it."
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In order to pave the way for the trade deadline additions, the Leafs placed veteran winger Ryan Reaves on waivers. After he cleared, Reaves was assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
After Saturday's win over the Charlotte Checkers, Marlies coach John Gruden said he had not spoken to Reaves yet.
"We'll see what happens with that," Gruden added. "It's a tough adjustment for anyone. At the end of the day, we just want what's best for him."
Reaves hasn't played in the AHL since the 2010-11 season.
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Injured players Max Pacioretty (undisclosed) and Jani Hakanpää (knee) hit the ice before Saturday's team skate.
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Lines at the start of Saturday's game:
Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Jarnkrok - Laughton - Nylander
Lorentz - Holmberg- Robertson
Rielly - Carlo
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson
Stolarz
Woll
Lines at the end of Saturday's game:
Knies - Matthews - Domi
Nylander - Laughton - Marner
McMann - Tavares - Robertson
Lorentz - Holmberg- Jarnkrok
Rielly - Carlo
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson
Stolarz
Woll