Craig Berube felt pretty good about his team heading into Tuesday.
Those emotions quickly melted away for the Maple Leafs head coach.
Berube did what he could behind the bench — including putting his sluggish lines in a blender — but nothing stuck in Toronto’s ugly 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
“It wasn’t good,” he said. “We didn’t have control of the game at all.”
The Leafs saw their winning run snapped at three contests on a night where the home side wasn’t close before getting booed off the ice at the final buzzer.
“We just got really away from our game,” said John Tavares. “Clearly they had some good legs early. Our legs weren’t great and we didn’t manage the game very well.
“We got away from what’s bringing us success … just disjointed. Weren’t really able to build any momentum.”
Earlier in the season it was an ugly power play that was the worry. Now it’s Toronto’s play at 5-on-5 that’s raising alarm bells with just one goal — on a shot from defenceman Conor Timmins that went in off an opponent — over the last five games.
“We should be disappointed,” said Tavares, whose team was shut out at Scotiabank Arena for the first time since Nov. 20, 2021, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. “We can say we can wash this one, but I think it’s disappointing, just with the way we’ve been playing over the past week and a good chance to carry it over.”
Toronto remains minus captain and star forward Auston Matthews, who sat out a fourth straight game with an upper-body injury, but there’s still plenty of offensive punch up and down the roster.
“We’ve got to be more connected,” said winger William Nylander. “Sometimes we get one shot and we’re done, puck is out of the zone.
“Right now we’re very much one-and-done.”
Tavares said his group has been solid at staying on message to open the hard-nosed, no-nonsense Berube’s first season in charge.
Tuesday wasn’t one of those performances.
“Finding ways to turn the tide, carry play, start to get some rhythm,” Tavares said. “Wasn’t even close to that.”
“We have our sights on wanting to do great things and do something special,” he added. “It’s a long season and each and every night you need to find ways to build your game, whether you have it or you don’t.”
Berube said the formula for Tuesday’s loss was simple.
“It’s pretty tough to score any goals when you don’t have the puck,” he said. “We’ve got to generate more attempts at the net with people at the net.”
The Leafs will look to rebound Wednesday on the road against the Washington Capitals.
“They wanted it more than us,” Berube said of the Senators. “That’s the bottom line.”
MILESTONE MOMENT
Toronto defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to play the 1,000th game of his NHL career against the Capitals.
“Amazing,” Nylander said. “What an achievement.”
STUTZLE BUZZING
Ottawa centre Tim Stutzle scored his seventh goal in his 15th game after putting up just 18 across 75 contests last season.
“I worked really hard this summer,” said the 22-year-old. “I wasn’t happy the way I played (in 2023-24) and the way the season finished. It’s a different mindset.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.