yardbarker
The Toronto Maple Leafs entered Calgary on a four-game winning streak but departed with a 5-2 defeat, an injured player, and pressing questions. The Flames snapped Toronto's eight-game overall winning streak by exploiting the very weaknesses the Maple Leafs had seemingly addressed.
Head coach Jim Hiller was blunt in his post-game assessment, citing excessive turnovers, defensive lapses, and insufficient contributions from key players. Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the right one.
So, what needs fixing before Wednesday's game against Seattle? Toronto began with a 5-1 shot advantage and appeared in control. Then the turnovers began, and Calgary capitalized.
Hiller noted that giveaways had crept back into Toronto's game after the team had done a better job of eliminating them over the previous four games. The frustration lies in the team's regression to old habits after showing progress.
You can't keep handing opponents extra opportunities and expect your goaltender to clean up every mess. Calgary outshot Toronto 34-28, and the Maple Leafs spent too much time recovering from their own mistakes.
The first fix is straightforward: make the safer play when it's available. A pretty pass isn't worth much if it ends up on an opponent's stick.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots but allowed three or more goals for the seventh time in his past eight starts. He was far from perfect, but the team got into trouble even before the puck got close to him, which was impossible to ignore.
Hiller defended his goaltender after the game, pointing to the turnovers and poor defensive coverage. A goalie can only do so much when his teammates keep putting him in difficult situations.
The Maple Leafs also blocked 16 shots, showing a willingness to get in the way. But blocking shots isn't the same as defending well. Toronto needs better decisions before the opposition gets a clean look at the net.
Easton Cowan took responsibility for some of his mistakes, but Hiller wasn't about to pin the loss on the youngster. In fact, he said Cowan was probably Toronto's best player after the first period. That's encouraging, but it also raises a fair question: where were some of the more experienced players? Hiller made it clear that the team can't keep leaning on its youngest players to provide the spark.
With injuries creating holes in the lineup, somebody has to step forward. Zack MacEwen did his part, making an impact in limited minutes, but Toronto needs that kind of contribution across the lineup.
The Maple Leafs are in Seattle on Wednesday. One loss? Not worth panicking over. Not learning from it? That's the problem.
Clean up the turnovers, defend together, and get the whole lineup in the game instead of waiting on the same few guys. Four straight wins showed what this team can do. The Calgary game showed how quickly things can unravel when the basics disappear.
Originally reported by yardbarker.