How bad have things gotten in Toronto? Head coach Craig Berube called a closed door players meeting with the Maple Leafs ‘Leadership group’ ahead of their big matchup with the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday night.
Insider Darren Dreger described the meeting that included captain Auston Matthews, the assistant captains, and other veteran leaders.
The message that I received from some inside that meeting is that everybody is on the same page. The focus has narrowed to the task at hand… Into the teeth of a real important road trip, which starts Thursday in Seattle. It could be a season changing road trip, frankly, in terms of what direction GM Brad Treliving goes in.
A lot of people, internally at least, are interested to see how this leadership group responds, and where they are at. Because where they’ve been at for the past four or five games hasn’t been good enough.
“Everybody just has to be better,” captain Auston Matthew said. “When it’s hard and you’re going through adversity, it’s bringing everybody up and pushing yourself to be better.
Leafs have big hole to climb out of before Olympic Break
“It’s just about getting back on the horse and just keep riding, keep working, and pulling yourself out of the hole.”
That “hole” is six points deep, in terms of chasing that final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. And a daunting task against the Sabres isn’t the best way to try to climb out of it.
Buffalo had won 18 of their past 22 games going into the Toronto matchup. They currently have a firm grip on their first playoff spot in 15 years.
“A big one. We know the magnitude of it,” said Leafs forward Bobby McMann, about the four-pointer with the Sabres. After that, a four-game road trip out west heading into the Olympic Break features three potentially winnable games (Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary). It finishes off with a daunting task in Edmonton against the Oilers on February 3.
