With a 6-2 loss to Chicago Saturday night, there were lots of statements from members of the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding the team's recent play. The vast majority of them were anything but positive.
"I thought that we were an immature team down in Florida [losing 8-4 on Sunday]; I thought we were an immature team here today,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. “We're not performing; we're not playing with any level of discipline or consistency. When you go through these types of things, it's just a sign of where you are, and that you're not where you want to be. Reality checks come."
Leafs captain John Tavares, who was a minus-two against the Blackhawks, agrees that it's time to do a little soul searching after the team dropped five of their last six games (they did get a point in two of those losses).
“It's not a good feeling. So we've got to dig down and ask ourselves where we want to get to and [find] the consistency we need on a daily basis to get there.”
As for goaltender Frederik Andersen, who was so consistent earlier in the season but has been struggling recently (it was the eighth time in his last 11 starts that Andersen has been sub-.900 in the save percentage department), he received a Bronx cheer from the Leafs' faithful after making a save in the second period with the Blackhawks up 5-1. He admits it got to him.
“I think it's easier for players to play well when they have support,” he said. “Sometimes you don't get it. But you also have to work and play well to get that kind of support.”
“I think it's time to just look in the mirror right now for everyone here, myself included,” Andersen said. “I think it's not a time to point fingers or anything like that. I think you've got to use this week to reflect and make sure we come with more intensity and more purpose when we play after the break.”
The Leafs are now officially in their bye-week, meaning some downtime before having to play another game. As to how the team can be better after the break, Keefe says his team needs to get over the immaturity.
“I think we have to just continue to remind them of it,” he said. “I think what's nice about events like this, and events like Florida, is it's obvious it's right there. It's just about us reflecting as a group on what we want to be about. It's on me to help bring that out of them, but I also think that there's some reflection [needed] there about what we want to be about.”
-
