Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs being in the midst of an epic late-season collapse, assistant general manager Claude Loiselle says his squad hasn’t given up hope.
Loiselle can’t point to one specific reason why things haven’t gone their way of late, saying instead that it’s a collection of missteps.
“All the warts are showing,” Loiselle told Hockey Central at Noon on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “We haven’t been blown out, but we’ve found a way to lose… It just kind of snowballed.”
Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle on Hockey Central at Noon on Sportsnet 590 The Fan
Since a thrilling 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on March 13, the Leafs have dropped eight straight games in regulation — each of those losses has been by one or two goals — and they’ve nearly fallen out of playoff contention.
“Mathematically we’re still in it, but we need a win,” Loiselle said.
The Leafs will look to snap their losing skid Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre against the Calgary Flames, who, despite a poor overall record, have played some solid hockey of late.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch Leafs vs Flames on Sportsnet Ontario and West starting at 7 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. MST
“Are we as bad as we are right now? No,” Loiselle said. “Were we as good as we were two weeks ago? No. We’re somewhere right in the middle.”
With six games remaining on their schedule, the Leafs sit two points back of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, however they’ve played one or two more games than each of the teams they’re chasing.
“Teams are playing for keeps now,” Loiselle said. “We’ve had some bad luck [in terms of travel]…We’re not getting any breaks with the officials. Things like that snowball.”
During the slump, captain Dion Phaneuf has struggled — registering one goal, three assists and a minus-9 rating over the eight-game skid — which has led to some discussion about whether or not the blueliner is fit to wear the ‘C.’
“He’s trying and sometimes you’re trying too hard,” said Loiselle, who added that in a market like Toronto, the Leafs try to rely on group leadership rather than just one player.
Loiselle also mentioned that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Tim Leiweke, plus GM Dave Nonis, have met with players during the losing streak.
“Everybody’s always talking to players. We’re always trying to be positive,” Loiselle said. “[Leiweke’s] down here all the time. He talks with the players just like Dave Nonis does.”
