Auston Matthews criticizes the Leafs' disappointing start following loss in San Jose
After a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs are stuck looking for the consistency they had during the majority of last season.
It's emphasized by the players that they are trying, but they find themselves lost in their tracks when it comes to putting points up on the board and climbing the Atlantic Division standings. We've seen the Leafs get off to a slow start in previous seasons, taking last year for example, despite the slow start, the Leafs continued to have their best regular season ever in history, finishing with a 54-21-7 record.
This season though, it seems different. With an already competitive Atlantic Division, the standings are tight, separated by one point. With a current record of 4-3-1, the Leafs have shown glimpses of their team potential when the players are on the same page and when the team wants to show up and work. Unfortunately, they have yet to string together what feels like a full sixty-minute game from start to finish.
In the first game of the California road trip, San Jose scored just twenty-six seconds into the first period, with the first shot on goal. Adding to their problems last night, the Sharks managed to score 3 goals on just 9 shots. Two of these goals came in just under a minute apart, both being power play goals.
The Leafs struggled to maintain momentum and found themselves yet again trying to claw their way back into the game, being down 3-1. This type of play style is not sustainable, as it's shown in their results. The Leafs have looked sloppy in each of the last two losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks. In back-to-back games, the Leafs have given up a goal within the first minute of a period.
Thus far, the Leafs have looked out of sync for the most part. As a collective group, they haven't been able to put together more than two wins in a row. Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews even said his team has looked stagnant at times and has been unable to respond in the right way.
It's no secret that the Leafs have looked sluggish to start the season, but they look to turn things around with the upcoming back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. It certainly isn't time to hit the panic button, but the Leafs have to figure out their constant defensive issues, offensive lineup, and do their best to eliminate the streaky play and replace it with consistent, smart, two-way hockey. As mentioned by members of the Leafs themselves, everyone has to be better going forward.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 28 | 277 ANSWERS Auston Matthews criticizes the Leafs' disappointing start following loss in San Jose Will the Leafs be able to hit or exceed 50 wins following a slow start? | ||
| Yes | 154 | 55.6 % |
| No | 123 | 44.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
