Stumble or sign of sinking?

You could kind of see this one coming, huh?

The Toronto Maple Leafs were nearly perfect in terms of points accumulated during a season-opening five-game home stand, but outside of a few key individuals who were largely responsible for their initial success, you could see a few leaks that might potentially blow wide open and ultimately sink the ship.

On a night when starting goalie James Reimer was given a rest, and when Phil Kessel -- the NHL's leading scorer heading into the game -- came up dry, the Leafs looked a whole lot more like a team that could miss the playoffs than the top-ranked team in the Northeast Division.

Up against the defending Stanley Cup champs, who have struggled thus far, the Leafs got off to a far too familiar bad start, but this time did not exhibit the comeback power that has been their trademark early this season. A 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins represents an early-season low point.

The knee-jerk reaction would be to point the finger at backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who made his first start of the year. The Monster has not been the answer the Maple Leafs thought they were getting when they outbid the opposition for what was a highly-touted unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009. Health -- specifically heart issues -- have hampered his development to the point where he is now legitimately the backup to a guy who has played just 42 games in the league.

Gustavsson was not the issue in Toronto's loss. Sure, he could have blocked a few of the pucks that sneaked behind him. He certainly should have caught that Zdeno Chara slapper that dropped out of his trapper only to be snapped past him by Nathan Horton in the first period; a goal that pulled the Bruins even after Toronto had opened the scoring. But for the most part, he was alright.

When you are the Toronto Maple Leafs, being alright is really not good enough and it certainly won't inspire coach Ron Wilson to quickly look Gustavsson's way as a replacement for Reimer in the near future.

The Leafs started the night behind the eight-ball, having played at home Wednesday and having lost a couple of energetic starters, Colby Armstrong and Clarke MacArthur, to injury the night before. The Leafs have boasted all year long about having eight NHL defenceman, but elected to sit one of them, veteran Mike Komisarek, out for the night to get Cody Franson back on the ice. It was a sideways move, at best. Komisarek struggled against Winnipeg Wednesday and was benched, but Franson was minus-3 in 11:31 against Boston.

Up front, Nazem Kadri -- who was sent to the AHL Marlies and then immediately recalled -- didn't hurt the team, but tough guys Colton Orr and Jay Rosehill were of no value when the Leafs fell behind. They were just bodies and that does not represent a step forward for a team trying to make the playoffs.

There is no question the 4-1-1 Leafs of 2011-12 are a more talented and deeper group than the team that had an identical record a year ago, but their sloppiness over the past week must be a cause for concern.

Kessel has been amazing, but he's not at the stage of his career where he can carry the team on his own. He has undoubtedly been the best offensive force in the league, but I can't recall anybody mistaking him for Sidney Crosby.

In his return to Boston, the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2006 and then booted him to Toronto rather than giving in to his contract demands, Kessel was invisible. A bad night certainly does not erase his magical start to the year, but playing 16:19 with one shot on goal and leaving the ice a minus-1 can't be what he had in mind.

Tyler Seguin, who scored a goal and set up two more, will drive those who think Leafs GM Brian Burke made a colossal mistake with the get-rich-quick deal with the Bruins, nuts.

In the end, Toronto looked like a tired team -- tired and a bit confused. And for the first night this season, captain Dion Phaneuf was a non factor. He had been rushing the puck up the ice with Orr-like efficiency, but against the Bruins he was nowhere near the dominant force that Boston's top d-man, Chara, was.

The question now is: Can Toronto rebound from a game it lost and from a game it was lucky to win in a shootout on back-to-back nights? With three more road games at hand before the Leafs return home to host the Pittsburgh Penguins Oct. 29, you would not be out of line to think the wheels are a little wobbly. Not off the hinges, but unsteady for sure.

This is where we find out if this is indeed a new team or the same old Leafs. A strong showing in Montreal Saturday night -- win or lose -- may offer a hint.

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy will cover the Toronto Maple Leafs for sportsnet.ca for the 2011/12 season.