Maple Leafs' defensive issues persist in lacklustre loss to Canadiens

MONTREAL – Precisely one month from the NHL’s trade deadline, the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs was asked for his wish list.

“My wish list is to play a really good, solid, 60-minute hockey game here in Montreal,” Keefe replied Monday morning.

Keefe knew.

He knew that his talented team has an infuriating tendency to ease off the gas pedal, to play down to a weaker opponent if they believe the win is a gimme.

Until, oh, about Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens had been the NHL’s lay-up. Two points as bankable as Steph Curry at the line.

[snippet id=5218556]

Their special teams are atrocious, they struggle to score, and they allow more goals than anybody.

The Habs should’ve be sluggish coming off Sunday’s shootout win on Long Island, while the Leafs got a full night’s rest in la belle province.

The Canadiens in last freaking place.

Easy peasy, right?

Well, that’s precisely the trap thinking to which Keefe did not want his players to fall prey.

So, Keefe spoke at length pre-game about how his former Lightning teammate, Martin St. Louis, had infused the Canadiens with a jolt of renewed energy. And how the Canadiens — winners of consecutive games for the first time since their magical playoff rip — would feel an extra boost from the Bell Centre crowd, increased to 50 per cent capacity.

“Of course, through all this, we haven’t forgotten there’s 11 out of 18 skaters that’ll be on the ice that knocked us out of the playoffs last year. So, lots of reasons for us to be focused and committed to playing our best game,” Keefe said.

“They’re a team that’s working and competing very hard, and when you do that, you tend to play better defensively.”

And when you don’t?

Well, you get the sort of lacklustre effort the Maple Leafs delivered in the first two periods against a rival they not only should beat but want to beat.

Instead, it was Montreal that smashed into the arena like Kool-Aid Man, Rem Pitlick registering the contest’s first shot on a clear breakaway and crashing into Petr Mrazek.

Mrazek stopped that one, but the odd-man rushes and Grade-A opportunities continued to pour his way.

Keefe continues to scramble his bottom two defensive pairs (Jake Muzzin–Timothy Liljegren and Travis Dermott–Justin Holl on this night, with Rasmus Sandin scratched) in search of calm and consistency, and GM Kyle Dubas added burly stay-at-home type Ilya Lyubushkin via trade Sunday because the status quo is concerning.

In Monday’s porous 5-2 loss to the lowly Canadiens, however, we’re not certain the Russian Bear would’ve swayed the scoreboard. Maybe not even the Russian Army.

“2-on-1’s, 3-on-1’s, 3-on-2’s…” Auston Matthews recounted. “I think we just made it difficult on ourselves.”

Opportunistic strikes by Josh Anderson (twice), Cole Caufield, Mike Hoffman and Pitlick built the home side a formidable 5-0 lead through two periods. And while the Leafs had their share of O-zone time, the Canadiens held a decided advantage in high-danger chances 5-on-5 (12-8).

All those rush chances, Keefe says, are a continuation from Saturday’s lopsided loss to the Blues. Lost puck races. Forwards failing to get a bump on the opponent blowing the zone. Disconnected pairs. Misplays backing up.

“As a group we’re obviously going to have to look into that more. It’s a common theme,” Morgan Rielly said. “As a D corps, we have to be better.”

A half-full Bell Centre roared at full throat and the “Olé! Olé! Olé!” chants rang out with 21 minutes still to go.

Nick Suzuki barged over Holl with a massive clean hit, causing Jason Spezza to go picking fights.

Poor Muzzin left the game after a frightening collision with Chris Wideman left him prone on the ice for nearly two minutes.

“Terrible. As bad a thing as you see in the game,” Keefe said.

Muzzin got up and skated down the tunnel on his own power, but considering he suffered a concussion just last month, there is reason for concern.

The defenceman will spend the night of his 33rd birthday getting tested at a Montreal hospital, not travelling with his teammates to Columbus.

“I just hope he’s OK,” Rielly said. “He’s a guy we care deeply about. We wish him nothing but the best and hope he’s back soon.”

Injury to insult.

Keefe tried to glean the positives post-game. He spoke of a strong showing from his bottom six, which generated a pair of third-period goals, and hoped Monday’s embarrassment could have a similar effect on his players that October’s 7-1 debacle in Pittsburgh did.

“Sometimes these games happen. And, frankly, sometimes they’re needed,” Keefe said.

And then the coach made another wish: “Sometimes you need these types of games as a true wakeup.”

Set to face the Blue Jackets Tuesday, the Maple Leafs have less than 24 hours to rub their eyes and jostle their defensive game back on the rails.

“We gotta put the fire out now,” Matthews said.

Fox’s Fast 5

• Prized prospect Nick Robertson has been producing well since returning from the broken leg he suffered in October, scoring three goals and adding a pair of assists.

“He’s come back to the Marlies off a long injury, and he’s been outstanding. It’s probably the best I’ve seen him play at that level. He’s only 20 years old – I think sometimes that gets forgotten,” Kyle Dubas said.

Robertson has always wielded a dangerous shot, but the GM raved about (pumped up?) the winger’s play with and without the puck, his improved skating, and his willingness to sharpen his penalty-killing skills to round out his game.

Said Dubas: “It’ll just be a matter of time before he forces our hand.”

• The Canadiens are auctioning off Monday’s Black History Month warmup sweaters. (Caufield’s is the most coveted.)

Loved the pre-game soundtrack: Kendrick Lamar, 2Pac, Jennifer “Jenny from the Block” Lopez, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Public Enemy, Lil Nas X.

• How did newest Leaf Ilya Lyubushkin earn the nickname “Russian Bear”?

“He’s just a big boy,” says former Coyote Michael Bunting. “He plays rough out there, and he’s not afraid to be physical at all.”

You’re going to love the Russian Bear #LeafsNation. Maybe as much as Bunting.

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) February 20, 2022

• Lyubushkin flew to Columbus Monday and will meet up with his teammates Tuesday ahead of their game against the Blue Jackets. The 27-year-old left his family in Arizona and needs to get his visa sorted before moving to Canada.

Considering Lyubushkin hasn’t skated in a couple days, Keefe has not yet committed to playing him Tuesday. When he does, he’ll wear No. 26.

“We want to put him in a position to succeed,” Keefe said.

• Matthews spent a couple hours in a dentist’s chair and lost a tooth from Thursday’s accidental run-in with the crossbar, as he was locked in pursuing Sidney Crosby around the net.

“I’ve had better days. It’s been a bit of a battle trying to eat and all that stuff,” said Matthews, his speech temporarily affected by the collision.

“I saw the crossbar and just decided it would be a great idea if I put my face right through it and see what happens. So, great question.”

[relatedlinks]