The caveat — and there always seems to be one with this group — is that we can only assume the club is at rock bottom now.
asserted
club → seem → bottom
There could be a deeper level for the Leafs to sink once the Colorado Avalanche arrives at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night.
uncertain
Avalanche → sink → night
The Leafs had a pre-scheduled full day off on Monday following back-to-back losses against the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils, a pair of home setbacks that put some tarnish on the celebratory Hockey Hall of Fame weekend.
asserted
that → have → weekend
There’s no shortage of on-ice issues that might have crept into the minds of the Leafs — losers of five of their past six games, with none going beyond regulation — as they went about their lives on Monday.
uncertain
they → ’ → Monday
Identifying what’s wrong and whether the problems can be fixed are two completely different things.
asserted
problems → identify → ?
One way or another, it’s on the Leafs to work their way out of this.
asserted
it → ’ → this
Veteran defenceman Chris Tanev should be back on Tuesday after sitting out Sunday for load management and winger Jack Roslovic could return after missing a game with a lower-body issue, but there are no reinforcements coming over the horizon otherwise.
uncertain
Roslovic → sit → horizon
Kirill Marchenko is not close to returning and, though we will learn more about the future of defenceman Morgan Rielly on Tuesday morning, it’s possible he will be out for a while as well.
asserted
he → return → while
Ditto for forward Colton Sissons, who departed the game versus New Jersey with a lower-body injury.
asserted
who → depart → injury
And if general manager John Chayka had worked out a trade for a defenceman to his liking, you can bet he would have made one by now.
asserted
he → work → one
Though the concerns are many, one that sticks out in the aftermath of the weekend was coach Jim Hiller’s agreement with the idea that the players’ spirits dropped once the Devils took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period.
asserted
Devils → stick → period
More than 30 minutes of hockey remained, but the Leafs couldn’t muster the confidence to rebound.
asserted
Leafs → remain → confidence
The Leafs offensively have gone in the tank at five-on-five since Marchenko suffered a lower-body injury in Calgary on Oct. 26, scoring six goals in five games.
asserted
Marchenko → go → games
That’s the fewest in the National Hockey League in that span.
asserted
That → ’ → span
By comparison, the Carolina Hurricanes have played one more game but have 23 goals at five-on-five; the Devils have played two more games and have 20 goals in the same situation.
asserted
Devils → play → situation
We didn’t expect the penalty kill to remain close to perfect, as it was through the first 12 games in allowing one goal on 39 opportunities.
asserted
it → expect → opportunities
No one expected it to swing back so far the other way either, as the Leafs have given up at least one power-play goal in each of their past seven games.
asserted
Leafs → expect → games
The players keep talking about playing with more urgency, as if it’s something that can be snatched out of the air and put to use immediately.
asserted
that → talk → air
If that was true, what are they waiting for?
asserted
they → wait → what
How much more dire does it have to become for the Leafs, as Matthews said late on Sunday night, to take a look in the mirror and starting giving more?
asserted
Matthews → have → more
Even if the Leafs did take that upon themselves, would it make enough of a difference to result in a string of wins?
asserted
it → take → wins
That’s unlikely.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
The Avs have not hit their stride yet, but arrive in Toronto with a 4-1-1 record in their past six games.
asserted
Avs → hit → games
The Minnesota Wild, at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, have settled into first place in the Central Division; the Edmonton Oilers make their only stop on Saturday and led by the best player on the planet in captain Connor McDavid, sit atop the Pacific.
The Leafs’ 7-2 victory in Edmonton on Oct. 24 is becoming more and more of an aberration on Toronto’s part.
Granted, Chayka didn’t pay much attention to defensively shoring up the Leafs’ blue line in the off-season, adding only Darren Raddysh, but more was expected out of the job Hiller was hired to do.
asserted
Hiller → settle → job
The Leafs were supposed to turn a corner defensively, but have allowed 45 goals at five-on-five, the fourth-most in the NHL.
asserted
Leafs → suppose → NHL
Under Craig Berube last season, the Leafs gave up 206 five-on-five goals, the second-most in the NHL.
asserted
Leafs → give → NHL
The biggest challenge for Hiller in trying to bring some spice to a club that is 8-9-2 through 19 games is determining what to attack first.
asserted
that → try → what
The Aporia
