3 Things the Maple Leafs Must Fix to Pull Out of Their Funk
Some losses you shrug off, and some hang around like a draft under the kitchen door. Saturday night in Montreal against the Canadiens was one of the latter for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They had the puck, they had the right ideas, and for long stretches, they even had the pace. What they didn’t have was execution. And if this team wants to stop sliding around in the mud and start stacking wins—beginning tonight in Columbus against the Blue Jackets—three issues need attention.
What are three fixes that will help the Maple Leafs come out of their current funk and pull themselves back into the Atlantic Division race?
Fix No. 1: The Maple Leafs Must Clean Up Their Defensive Scrambles
The Maple Leafs start well enough most nights, but the first mistake too often becomes the crack that widens into a canyon. In Montreal, it was Jake McCabe coughing up the puck at the offensive blue line. That one error sent the play the other way, caught the bench mid-change, and left Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton looking for help that wasn’t coming. Lane Hutson didn’t miss.
Later, young Easton Cowan drifted behind the play at the end of a shift—just long enough to turn a routine sequence into a 5-on-4 rush and another Montreal goal. These aren’t systemic breakdowns; they’re timing and responsibility. Those can be fixed, but they have to be fixed sooner rather than later.
Fix No. 2: The Maple Leafs Must Stop the Extended Defensive-Zone Marathons
Every team gets hemmed in occasionally, but Toronto can’t keep spending whole chunks of the game pinned to the end boards. In one second-period stretch, the Canadiens outshot them 20–3 over 21 minutes. That’s not pressure—that’s a public service announcement.
The Maple Leafs don’t need to reinvent their breakout. They need to execute crisper exits, shorten the panic plays, and support the puck. When they allow long shifts, everything gets dragged down—legs, energy, and confidence. Columbus might not dominate as Montreal did, but if Toronto keeps gifting momentum, anyone will look fast.
Fix No. 3: The Maple Leafs Must Make the Power Play a Weapon
Even on a rough night, there were reminders of what this group can be. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored one late in the second, and William Nylander found a clean look early in the third. When the power play is organized, patient, and not overthinking every touch, it can change the temperature of a game in a hurry.
If Toronto wants to build a streak, special teams have to tilt the ice—not simply tread water.
The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs’ Improvement
The Maple Leafs don’t need miracles tonight in Columbus. They need fewer scrambles, shorter defensive-zone shifts, and a power play that matters again. Fix those three things, and the winning streak they’ve been chasing might finally show up on the schedule.