The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled since coming back from the Olympic break. This led to Auston Matthews calling out the team prior to their game with the Philadelphia Flyers.
After the 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers, defenseman Brandon Carlo is taking a different approach, pointing out some positives in their game, according to post game remarks reported by LeafsLatest on X, formerly Twitter.
“I think overall we looked at our complete game, and we liked it a lot more. We did a lot of things better. We were moving the puck up faster and creating good zone time, so I really liked the effort from our group tonight. It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Carlo said after the game.
The Leafs have lost four straight coming out of the Olympic break, and this is the first time they have gotten a point out of a contest. The defense has been a major part of the struggles, giving up 14 goals in the first three games, before taking this one to a shootout. Meanwhile, the team has yet to score more than two goals in a game since returning from the break.
“Right now, everyone is just trying to stay positive. It’s not easy during a stretch like this, but we have a great group in here that cares about each other. We’re playing for the guy next to us, and we just have to keep giving our best effort,” Carlo concluded
The team's struggle extends beyond the four games since the nearly three-week intermission. While they won the last three games before the break, they had lost six straight before that. William Nylader agrees that the team is moving in the right direction.
“I think today was a step in the right direction. That’s what we want to keep building off,” Nylander said after the contest.
Nylander scored late in the third period, giving him his 20th goal of the campaign, and tying the game at two. That led to overtime and then the shootout, where the Leafs could not finish the job.
Regardless of the positive attitude from Carlo and Nylander, the front office needs to decide the direction of the rest of the season quickly. The NHL trade deadline is at 3 pm ET on March 6, giving little time to wait to see if things will turn around.
The Maple Leafs are now 27-24-10 on the season, placing them in seventh in the Atlantic Division, and seven points out of a playoff spot. The return to the ice on Wednesday night, visiting the New Jersey Devils.
