Some nights, you can feel the weight on a team before the puck even drops. Tonight, as the Toronto Maple Leafs face the St. Louis Blues, the loss against the Chicago Blackhawks weighs heavily. Yet another road stop turned into a tight game that slid away at the wrong moment.
The Maple Leafs were coming off a bruising stretch against heavy teams, and you could sense they were hoping the Blackhawks might offer a bit of relief. There was no such luck. Toronto played well in stretches, even carried the pace at times, but the same old cracks reappeared.
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With Joseph Woll finally back between the pipes and Easton Cowan returning from the American Hockey League (AHL), there were signs of life. But when you’re 8-9-2 and stuck in what feels like NHL quicksand, small bright spots don’t change the standings.
If the club wants to take two points from the Blues tonight, things must change—quickly. The team has to show up and play with purpose. Can they? What does the team have to clean up if they’re going to win tonight?
First, the Maple Leafs Need to Clean Up the “Passenger Shifts” Before They Sink the Season
The opening period told a familiar Maple Leafs story: too many players standing still, too many stick waves instead of real battles, and far too much leaning on the goalie to erase mistakes. Woll, fresh off barely any preseason work, had to make three big stops to keep them in it. He looked sharp—calm, steady, composed—but he was cleaning up after some ugly messes.
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That Bobby McMann–Max Domi–Matias Maccelli shift summed it up perfectly. They were hemmed in for nearly two minutes before the Blackhawks finally executed a clean, uncontested passing play through the slot. The Maple Leafs offered little pushback, no desperation, just a slow-motion collapse. If the team wants to beat the Blues—who play straight-line, forechecking hockey—they can’t afford even one of those shifts. You can’t win when half a line decides to take flight mid-shift.
The bottom-six forwards have to find some competitiveness. Hard stops and starts. Winning their share of pucks. The difference between playoff teams and lottery teams often lies in what happens on the third and fourth lines. Right now, Toronto’s depth is giving up more than it creates.
Second, the Maple Leafs Must Build on Tavares, Robertson & the Kids Who Are Pushing the Pace
John Tavares isn’t getting younger, but he sure isn’t slowing down. He dragged the Maple Leafs back into the Blackhawks game with his puck retrieval and net drive. In that, he was helped by Nicholas Robertson, who continues to treat every game like a job interview. Robertson hasn’t been slacking off.
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He’s put up five goals and nine points in nine games. All his success has been coming while the Maple Leafs’ ship has been taking on water. That’s no small feat, playing well when the rest of the team isn’t.
Robertson brings the type of energy the Maple Leafs need to bottle and pour down the rest of the bench. Easton Cowan brings the same spark. He’s raw, but he makes things happen. Against the Blackhawks, he had a two-on-one, a clear breakaway, a few heavy forechecks, and that ability to get open in dangerous spots. Yes, he missed. But he created them. You can coach structure; you cannot coach youthful hunger.
If the Maple Leafs want a different result on Tuesday, Cowan must stay in the lineup and play with pace players—Matthew Knies, Robertson, even a sparkplug like McMann. This team desperately needs legs, not placeholders.
Third, the Maple Leafs Have to Clean Up Defensive Details: Stop the Rush Chances or Prepare for More Heartbreak
The worst moment of the night came early in the third: Phillippe Myers and Morgan Rielly got walked cleanly on a neutral-zone rush, and Chicago tied it with a highlight-reel finish. That goal changed the whole arena. Until then, the Blackhawks fans were half-asleep. One bad gap, one stumble, and suddenly the Maple Leafs were hanging on.
The Blues are built around rush pressure and heavy board play. If Toronto can’t close those lanes, it won’t matter who is scoring. Woll gave them 21 saves on 22 shots before that moment, yet they still ended up losing. That’s the part that stings: the goaltender delivered, and the skaters couldn’t protect him when it mattered.
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This blue line is patchwork right now, but there’s no excuse for poor gap control and slow feet. If tonight is going to look any different, the Maple Leafs need cleaner exits, tighter neutral-zone structure, and fewer hopeful poke checks.
Fourth, the Maple Leafs Must Finish Their Chances—Especially Late
Toronto had more than enough looks to tie the game late. A couple of great faceoff wins, a scramble in front, Jake McCabe from the slot. But the team didn’t finish. That’s becoming a theme. You look at the roster and see skill, but when you watch them play, you don’t always feel danger.
Against St. Louis, this can’t happen again. The Blues collapse hard to the net. If they don’t get bodies inside that box, they’ll be taking harmless outside shots all night.
Where This Leaves the Maple Leafs Right Now
The Maple Leafs were the better team for long stretches against Chicago, yet here I am again, talking about whether they can rebound from another loss. It’s becoming a habit, and breaking (losing) habits is the hardest thing to do. If the Maple Leafs want to stop the slide, they need three things: fewer passengers, more urgency from the depth players, and a defensive effort worthy of the goaltender they finally have back.
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The ingredients are there for a bounce-back. But time isn’t waiting. Tonight won’t be about talent—it’ll be about who shows up ready to work.
