Leafs try to regroup on quiet monday in Toronto
The Toronto Maple Leafs eased into the new week with an uncharacteristically quiet Monday at the Ford Performance Centre, choosing recovery over routine after a draining stretch of games.
Instead of running a full practice, the club split into small groups for targeted skill work a deliberate shift meant to slow things down before an important road trip.
Head coach Craig Berube told TSN the lighter structure was designed to protect players who have taken on heavy minutes recently, saying the staff wanted to provide “a little extra mental and physical rest.”
Several core veterans, including John Tavares, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Joseph Woll, stayed indoors while development staff guided shorter sessions for the rest of the roster.
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Searching for traction after another setback
Monday marked the Leafs’ first on-ice activity since Saturday’s 5–2 loss in Montreal, a game Berube bluntly labeled “inexcusable.”
The Canadiens dominated the early part of the second period with a 16–1 surge in shots, a sequence Berube said underscored Toronto’s challenge: “Until we decide to dig in and play the right way for 60 minutes, it’s going to be hard to pull yourself out of anything,” he told TSN.
Defenceman Simon Benoit echoed the frustration, saying the group “needs to show that we want to win out there.” The Leafs have dropped seven of their past eight and sit last in the Eastern Conference — a position that stands in stark contrast to preseason expectations and last year’s top-eight finish in goals against.
Morgan Rielly acknowledged that the team is still looking for stability but insisted the dressing room hasn’t splintered: “There’s no easy answer. It just feels like we’re in it right now.”
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A crucial road swing arrives
The timing leaves little room to breathe. Toronto opens a five-game road trip Wednesday in Columbus, followed by stops in Washington, Pittsburgh, Florida and Carolina. As TSN pointed out, the Leafs enter the trip with the league’s worst road record (1-6-0), though they have yet to be tested on an extended swing this season.
Berube called the upcoming stretch “critical,” but emphasized he’s keeping the team focused on only the next opponent. Scott Laughton said the players recognize the urgency: “It’s tough sledding, but we’re all in this together. This is a huge road trip for our team.”
Because Monday’s activities were spread across multiple rinks, players said the atmosphere was hard to read. But Benoit believes internal belief hasn’t wavered: “Everybody wants it. It’s going to click at one point.”
Help on the horizon
According to TSN, the Leafs dressed six replacement players on Saturday because of injuries. Reinforcements, however, may not be far away. Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Nicolas Roy all skated again Monday and are “close,” Berube said, with clearer updates expected Tuesday.
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Jake McCabe — hit in the face by a puck in Montreal — is expected to be available for the road trip. Meanwhile, Brandon Carlo and goaltender Anthony Stolarz remain sidelined without firm timelines, and Chris Tanev continues to skate on his own as he works back from an upper-body issue.
Tavares stressed that while the lineup has been stretched thin, injuries can’t undermine the identity the team is trying to establish: “We believe we have a very deep team.”
Steady pressure behind the bench
Despite Toronto’s skid, players say Berube’s demeanor has remained unchanged. The coach told reporters he hasn’t lost sleep over the slump, adding that he still looks forward to arriving at the rink each day. Benoit described Berube’s tone as firm but fair — “Craig means business” — while Rielly said he shows up “the same every day.”
Berube has navigated adversity before. His St. Louis team famously climbed out of last place in 2018–19 en route to the Stanley Cup, and he noted he’s applying “the same approach” now.
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Defensive structure under scrutiny
Team defence remains the biggest concern. After finishing among the league’s better defensive teams last season, the Leafs entered the week ranked 31st in goals against. Berube said Toronto must tighten its details, citing poor middle-ice coverage, mismanaged rushes and inconsistent forechecking.
Benoit said his own game needs to rise with the team’s expectations: “I’ve been too passive. I’ve got to be hard to play against.”
Goaltending tested by breakdowns
Woll was pulled on Saturday after allowing four goals on 25 shots. Berube told TSN the Leafs “were just giving freebies,” adding that the decision was partly about protecting Woll during a short-bench stretch. Dennis Hildeby relieved him and turned away all three shots he faced.
Tavares said the 16–1 second-period shot swing was “the ultimate one on us,” acknowledging the skaters didn’t support their goaltender enough.
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A spark of resistance
One encouraging moment has been the physical edge emerging from the blue line. Dakota Mermis, pressed into a larger role due to injuries, scored his first goal as a Leaf last week and later dropped the gloves with Montreal’s Florian Xhekaj after contact around Toronto’s crease. Mermis said he wanted to “have some pushback” and show the group still has fire.
Nylander called the moment a display of “character,” and Ekman-Larsson said Toronto needs “more of that” as it fights to regain traction.
Sources: TSN, Maple Leafs press conference.
