The Toronto Maple Leafs drop a fourth straight game as fans’ frustration hits a boiling point. Mike DiStefano and David Morassutti scrutinize Toronto’s 4-3 overtime loss to the LA Kings, calling out inconsistent defensive efforts from William Nylander and other veterans while praising John Tavares as the lone bright spot. Turnovers and soft play in front of the net continue to haunt the Leafs, leaving coach Craig Berube searching for answers and accountability. The hosts debate the impact of recent injuries, bottom-six struggles, and shake-ups—including David Kämpf’s contract buyout. With the Leafs slipping to 25th in the NHL, key questions emerge: Can roster changes or system tweaks ignite a turnaround before American Thanksgiving? Will the upcoming showdown with Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks offer a desperately needed reset?
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Defensive Struggles and Easy Goals
05:49 Team Effort, Not Individual Blame
08:50 Maple Leafs’ Struggles Continue
12:39 Team Struggles Require Drastic Change
19:21 Tavares Proving Critics Wrong
22:36 “Nylander Criticized for Lack Urgency”
23:52 “Maple Leafs’ Defensive Struggles”
35:13 Defensive Struggles and Trust Issues
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35 Comments
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#GoDuds
Maybe only with some players put on waivers, and others given reduced ice time, do I see the Leafs having a chance to win their next game.
Al's brother your cam and mic are not professional enough bro. Come on get with it like Dave!
People keep suggesting leafs need to make a trade, I cringe when I hear that. What trade has Treliving made that makes people want him to make another one. Rebuild with new management, bleech and burn every evidence the Dubus/Treliving ever happened.
If things keep going bad and the playoffs are out of sight JT may be willing to go to a contender and leafs may be able to pick up some top draft picks. Not that I really want to see him go but you gotta start somewhere. He isn't going to win a cup here.
I've played on some pretty bad teams in minor hockey as a 14-17 year old, but I'm pretty damn sure we always tried harder than this Leafs team and if we didn't try or play with some sort of determination, our coach was NOT happy and we found out just how unhappy he was at the very next practice when he skated us til we damn near puked….that was minor hockey, for fun..these guys are being payed millions of dollars to play in the top league on the planet..lol something is wrong here.. completely unwatchable.
Not a coaching or GM problem. Would rather have Kampf than Laughton as well. PK and faceoff specialist, defensively sound and rarely gets hurt. Laughton since he’s arrived?
Saw Keon's rookie season and I'm laughing because I told people on Twitter 6 months ago it was going to be like this. It reminds me so much like the 1968-70 years. People don't realize the team mentality when they lose a player they all bow to when he walks by. Players saw Berube's tactics didn't produce any more than Keefers did. They say Punch traded away all his youth to bring in old experienced players to win that cup in '67.
Seriously. Nylander is brutal, but let's blame the guys who are making a fraction of his salary. The guys at the top are supposed to set the tone for the team. Nylander's tone is screw defending, i will just wait around and hope for an opportunistic goal. Cool, now everyone is playing his game.
Good first period? More or less, just 4 shots on goal.
short handed or not they looked the same as they have with Matthews in the lineup… and Hildeby played better than Stolarz has for the majority of the season.
what do mean? you dont know what happened, the new player's are Real Maple leafs now😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Its obvious now that the Leafs have a 1st line a 3rd line and two 4th lines. They also have 2nd pair dman and 2 3rd pair dmen. In goal the have two good backup goalies. We are asking these players to be more then they can provide as pro hockey players.
They traded the wrong guy. They made the wrong guy captain.
Outshot 37 to 15. There were no positives. Berube walks out and says the same thing every post game. They get outshot EVERY game. LA didn't play well at all. Hildeby played well. That's the only positive. FOUR SHOTS ON GOAL IS NOT A GOOD FIRST PERIOD. Matthews being on the ice means nothing. He and the rest of them were playing awful game after game when he was playing. Stop acting as if Matthews is the best player on the team and shows up every night. He is useless.
And they’ve only played 5 games on the road!!!
How do you expect a goalie to stop 37 shots when the whole team isn't supporting him really
No leadership
Let’s go Raptors!
So between this year and last. Dakota minus 20 Roy-8 meccelli-11 domi- 4 Laughton -20 Blaise-13 and to fix this you want to bring in kadri -30 and Anderson-38.. thats minus 144….kick in Reilly for -12 and you reach minus 160….
So easy fix don't sign kadri or Anderson send down or trade Dakota roy Blaise Reilly domi Laughton..
Meccelli seems to be ok. Beg kampf to come back
I feel so bad for JT. He gave up money to stay with this train wreak and works his butt off. Matthews makes 3 times more …….let that sink in.
Backcheck maybe, forecheck seldom, paycheck always. A culture of entitlement.
Marner is probably laughing his nuts off right now and glad he got the hell oughta Dodge 😅
I will bet $100 on goal when Kampf comes back
Snipers belong on the wing. Good thing that at least OV, Selanne, Guy L, and Hull were never wasted at Centre. Maybe Leafs & Black Hawks should trade a few top drafted players like Matthews?
Connor B. would be fun and interesting to watch in a Leaf jersey.
I dont understand the negative talk on kampf. Top defensive center on the team. Virtually no goals against when he is on the ice. Everybody else on the bottom 6 had a worse plus minus..and then the team brought in 3 guts that had miles worse plus minus … who give a crap if a 4th liner can score you just need to keep it out of the net. The top 2 lines are massive positives this year last year every year. The bottom 6 just need to keep it out.
Are Leaf’s fans finally waking up to the Fact that William Bystander is just that? He’s a major cookie eater, a definite problem in the defensive zone and getting into Berube’s bad books with a chew out on the bench. Bystander had the look of “I’m getting paid for the next 8 yrs, and you could be gone next week look” while getting words from The Coach.
Even back before Bedard was playing well, Chicago played the Leafs hard. If only the Leafs showed up against any team in the NHL. "Not an easy win" – what is an easy win for the Leafs? Which hairdresser they're going to choose next weekend?
How many coaches do you want to change? Nylander & Matthews are NOT winners, no matter point totals!
There awful worst bottom 6 in the league. Goaltending. Awful defense to old and slow .
Your Toronto Maple Sleeps, everyone!
What major market team in any major sport that loses their no 1 goalie, best defensive dman and lose arguably their best goalscorer just sit there and do nothing? The pathetic country club over payed Maple Leafs.
Should really have kept their playmaker Marner and traded that anchor named Matthews.
YES BUT THE MONEY KEEPS ROLLING IN !!