Maple Leafs look ‘slow’ in costly shootout loss to last-place Sharks

SAN JOSE — The Toronto Maple Leafs noticed this lure coming and nonetheless couldn’t cease themselves from stepping in it.

Their final shootout loss to the NHL’s worst crew was purported to be a lesson, a wakeup name. 

So, within the hours that preceded Thursday’s 6-5, single-point-salvaging defeat to the Thirty second-place San Jose Sharks, coach Craig Berube issued a prolonged warning, lest they go away extra unclaimed factors in opposition to a lottery squad.

“We bought to be stable defensively and handle the hockey puck,” Berube stated after morning skate at SAP Heart. “You are likely to get a bit free generally coming in right here, or different buildings the place the groups aren’t within the playoffs and the place they’re at within the standings. You attempt to do an excessive amount of with the puck, and you find yourself turning it over in dangerous areas and never enjoying to your identification.”

And after some sluggish begins, spurts of regarding defensive play and subpar efforts in opposition to beatable opponents, Berube knew the Maple Leafs might be prone waking up after a cross-continental flight and enjoying at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Who cares if the Sharks discover themselves caught on the backside of the pool? They nonetheless know the best way to odor blood.

“This crew is just not going to surrender,” Berube had stated of the crew in teal. “They play with a variety of juice. They’re excited, this crew — regardless that the place they’re at within the standings. They bought good younger gamers coming. They bought a brand new identification. They’re feeling good, they usually’re going to play as exhausting tonight.

“It’s about us tonight. About us placing our foot on the fuel right here from the get-go. Enjoying our recreation.”

By the point the puck dropped, nonetheless, the Maple Leafs slammed the pedal in addition to a toddler perched in a Cadillac. 

The Sharks swarmed early and sometimes and have been full worth in incomes leads of 1-0, 3-1, 4-2, and 5-3. 

“They got here out with a variety of bounce and have been firing pucks from in all places. Appeared to be an enormous a part of their recreation plan,” John Tavares stated.

Heck, the sport wasn’t 22 minutes previous earlier than the refreshingly rowdy locals chanting, “We! Need! Tacos!” had their urge for food sated. (The native Taco Bell has made a pact with Sharks followers: Three within the web, three tacos you get.)

Not one in every of Toronto’s ahead strains outshot San Jose’s, and the Maple Leafs hung round on the power of their scorching-hot power-play and the Sharks’ lack of self-discipline.

“I didn’t love our recreation tonight. I believed we simply appeared sluggish. Didn’t actually appear to deal with the puck a lot. Simply sort of messing round with it an excessive amount of,” captain Auston Matthews stated. “And so they’re a younger, expert crew. They’re a hungry crew. Regardless of the place they’re at within the standings, they’re enjoying exhausting each evening.” 

Added William Nylander: “They’re coming exhausting. I imply, they clearly need to beat us. They’re younger and proficient and quick, so simply bought to know that they are comin’.”

Sure, the Maple Leafs’ closely used star gamers did handle to steal a standings level by putting twice at 6-on-5 within the remaining 59 seconds of regulation. However silky-mitted rookies Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini took turns dekeing Woll within the shootout to seal the deal.

Matthews and Mitch Marner every skated greater than 25 minutes, which is a taxing option to save/steal some extent.

Is it an accomplishment to dig your self out of a gap? Or an issue if you dig that gap within the first place?

“We didn’t play very properly within the first interval. They have been throughout us. Out-skated us within the first. Simply regarded faster than us,” Berube stated. “Perhaps the journey yesterday and all the things. You understand, we simply weren’t on our toes. We bought higher as the sport went alongside.”

Nobody needs to listen to an Japanese Convention crew complain in regards to the trajectory of their non-public jet, although.

“I do not suppose that’s actually one thing we will or ought to use as an excuse,” Matthews stated.

Not when the second-worst offence within the league caves you in early and sometimes, constructing its lead on prolonged strain, a shorthanded end-to-end rush aim, a 2-on-1 snipe, and this hideous giveaway by Woll to William Eklund:

“All of us bought to be higher, goalie included. You understand, it’s not ok,” Berube stated.

“We’ll speak to (Woll). The goalie coach, clearly, he’ll speak to him. And like I stated, he’s a part of all of it, and we bought to be higher than that.”

Woll had a pleasant stretch of three wins final week, however he has now given up 9 objectives to the 2 weakest offences within the league in his final two begins. (Regardless of a request, the Leafs didn’t make Woll out there to reporters postgame.)

Divvy the blame any manner you would like, the Maple Leafs can ailing afford to waste point-gathering alternatives when the Atlantic’s No. 1 seed is inside grasp.

“We’ve been fascinated with that every one 12 months,” Matthews stated. “Ourselves, the 2 Florida groups, and it’s a good race. It’s up for grabs. So, clearly, you need to win that for positive.”

The Maple Leafs follow Friday in L.A. and play the Kings Saturday.

• A fist-pump of candy aid.

It took 10 video games, however Oakville, Ont., native Scott Laughton scored his first aim (and registered his first level) as a Maple Leaf. A wonderful one-timed blast from the (very) excessive slot that he helped arrange with a give-and-go.

“It was good in all probability for my very own confidence, and good to get one for positive. However it could’ve been quite a bit nicer to get a win and never rating. I do know my position on this crew, and clearly contributing is good, however I do know what to deliver every day, and I am beginning to really feel extra comfy, beginning to play a bit bit higher. So, it is good for myself, however you need to get these two factors.”

• Chris Tanev has nothing however optimistic issues to say about John Tortorella on the day the coach was fired from the Flyers.

“I really like Torts. He made me a greater participant,” says Tanev, who skated for Tortorella as a Canuck in 2013-14. “He will be exhausting, however he pushed my recreation to be higher. He was a very good individual to me. Positively can’t thank him sufficient. I loved my time with him.”

How did Tortorella enhance Tanev’s recreation?

“Creating offence. It wasn’t at all times defence with him, as many individuals may suppose,” Tanev explains. “If I did not bounce in on the push when he thought there was a chance to, I’d get again to the bench and I’d hear about it.”

The stay-at-home defenceman scored six objectives that one season below Torts. He hasn’t surpassed that complete since.

• Nylander set a brand new profession excessive in objectives twice Thursday, scoring his forty first and forty second.

The one participant not named Leon Draisaitl to attain 40 in every of the previous three seasons, Nylander bought caught at 40 in each 2022-23 and 2023-24.

• The subsequent divisional check the Leafs face arrives Wednesday, when the Panthers roll into city. 

Anticipate deadline shock Brad Marchand within the lineup by then.

“He’s dying to get into the sport,” coach Paul Maurice instructed reporters Thursday.

Florida’s coach suggests he’ll begin Marchand on the left wing of Sam Bennett in effort to construct on the agitating duo’s chemistry as Workforce Canada linemates final month.

• Toronto’s power-play has been scorching at a 22-for-56 (39.3 per cent) clip since Feb. 1.

“We’re beginning to discover a good groove of simply being very direct, a great puck assist, successful a variety of battles and incomes second and third alternatives, carrying penalty kills down, not making an attempt to do an entire lot,” Tavares says. 

“We’re taking what’s there. And if you create some alternatives, you break them down a bit bit, they’ve been on the market for a short time, some passing lanes, alternatives to make some performs, open up and we’re profiting from them once we’re there.”