‘We hit a wall.’ Leafs recharge for second half of road trip

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. It wouldn’t be right to say the Maple Leafs are struggling. But it wouldn’t be right to say everything is hunky-dory, either.

A six-game road trip that started with an overtime loss in Colorado, then went to Las Vegas for a shootout win, then to Arizona for a regulation loss has shown the team has a few flaws to be worked out.

The power play got cold around the same time the penalty kill started getting leaky, and third periods are suddenly an issue, with coach Sheldon Keefe calling the team’s fitness level into question.

And so Thursday’s off day was just what the doctor ordered — quite literally by the team’s medical and training staff, which monitors such things.

“The day off is going to be important for us,” Keefe said after Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Coyotes, last in the Western Conference. “I think our group look tired. In that third period, I thought we hit a wall.”

The Leafs have been outscored 5-1 in third periods on this trip. It cost them a point against Colorado and two against Arizona. Keefe’s solution?

“Play more games,” the coach said. “Conditioning improves. Pace improves. You get used to grinding through it, pushing through it.”

While Auston Matthews continues to score at a breakneck pace — 24 goals, tied with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin for second-most in the NHL behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl — it’s the recent play of the Leafs’ other elite centre, John Tavares, that has been a bit startling.

Tavares has no points and a minus-3 on the trip, and his possession numbers have been low, around 45 per cent. He’s spending more time in the Leafs’ end than in the other team’s; the opposite is usually true. The scoring of William Nylander — he just needs a good pass now and then to break open a game — has masked that concern, but the second line has been struggling, the Leafs admit.

“They just need to be more consistent,” Keefe said. “They’ve had big moments. Willie has scored some big goals. They’ve had some great moments and some good chances, but we’re looking for some consistency.

“On this trip, I would say that line, whether it was (with Ilya) Mikheyev or (Alex) Kerfoot … hasn’t been good enough for us. They’ve got a whole lot more to offer us. We’ve come to expect them to make such a great impact for us because of how they played throughout the season. They’ve been so good that when they’ve slipped a little bit, it really stands out.”

They were better against Arizona than in Colorado and Vegas. To an extent that was to be expected, given the Coyotes don’t have the same talent and have been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19 cases. Still, Keefe expected more: “They were a little bit better, but still not where we need them to be.”

Said Tavares: “It’s a long season, so I try not to get too hung up too much on a night where it doesn’t go so well.”

All seemed to agree a day of rest was needed.

“A great day to recharge,” said Tavares. “We’ve been going hard, so it’s a chance to get away from the rink, recharge the batteries and then refocus.”

The Leafs will practise Friday in Arizona before heading to St. Louis to face the Blues on Saturday night. They should have forwards Mitch Marner and Pierre Engvall back from COVID protocols in time for practice.

“No question, two big impact players, guys that are key parts of our lineup,” said Tavares. “Obviously, Mitch is one of the best wingers in the league and plays in every situation for us, a guy we count on. And Pierre continues to mature and make an impact for us in our lineup, in different areas. We’re looking forward to getting them both back.”