Lightning strikes early, often to send Maple Leafs to another loss

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The Maple Leafs could play a spoiler role down the stretch.

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For now, they remain plain rotten.

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Ten points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Leafs on Saturday night tumbled into a first-period hole against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena and lost 5-2.

The Leafs’ seven-game winless streak (0-5-2) is their longest since the 2014-15 season, when the club had an 11-game skid (0-10-1). That was the longest winless streak in club history that did not include ties.

This time around, the Leafs have not won since Feb. 3, when they beat the Oilers 5-2 in Edmonton in their final game before the break for the Winter Olympics.

What’s more, the Leafs are winless in eight home games since beating Vancouver on Jan. 10, going 0-6-2. Boos started with less than two minutes to play.

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The Lightning, meanwhile, ended a four-game losing streak.

For the first time in 2025-26, the Leafs allowed four goals in the first period. After Matias Maccelli opened the scoring for Toronto, Tampa’s Ryan McDonagh, Jake Guentzel, Corey Perry and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in less than 10 minutes.

Brandon Hagel scored an empty-net goal late in the third before Nick Robertson replied in the last minute for the Leafs.

Three takeaways:

DOMI DEALING WITH IT

It’s clear the Leafs had some emotional baggage from the departures of Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton and Nicolas Roy prior to the NHL trade deadline on Friday, but that should be an impact only to a certain point.

“It’s hard, yep, for sure, but we’re pros here,” Max Domi said. “This is what we get paid to do. We get paid to show up every single day and try to be the best version of yourself on and off the ice.

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“That’s where you show your character. I think we have a group in here that no one’s going to quit, no one’s going to go away. It’s a tough league, and when things aren’t going your way like this, it’s even harder.”

So where is that character, then? The Leafs have 18 games to demonstrate they have an amount that’s measurable, but we’ll have our doubts until we actually see it on a consistent basis. If at all.

Talk means nothing in the standings — the Leafs have proven that time and time again throughout 2025-26 — and an ability to rise above it and be constructive has eluded the group more often than not.

NO PROBLEM WITH THE BOOS

The boos grew louder in the final minutes of the third period.

Earlier, when Anthony Stolarz made a routine glove save after the Tampa barrage in the first period, he got the
Bronx cheer from some corners of the rink.

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The boos undoubtedly will not only continue at home, and likely get worse, if the uninspired play doesn’t improve.

There’s no guarantee of that happening, and it’s probably a good thing that the Leafs have just seven home games remaining.

“People are going to be frustrated, they’re spending their hard-earned money come watch us play,” Stolarz said. “It’s just more motivation for us. We have to find a way to crawl out of this, put together a complete 60 minutes. Everyone’s playing playoff hockey.

“The standings are so tight that every single game is important. Teams are going to be jamming it down our throats, whether they’re in a playoff spot or if they’re working to try to get in a spot. They’re going to be working hard. We’re going to have to match their intensity.”

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Don’t count on it. The Leafs aren’t going to figure it out now.

“I don’t blame them,” defenceman Simon Benoit said of the catcalls. “We want to win as much as them.”

The Leafs’ play indicates otherwise. After a visit on Tuesday to Montreal to play the Canadiens, the Leafs will play host to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

SIMON SAYS NO CALL

Benoit survived his first go through the rumour mill in the days leading up to the deadline. He spent Friday afternoon at Ripley’s Aquarium with his family and was relieved when his phone didn’t ring.

“It was the first year I was actually involved, I would say,” Benoit said. “I don’t have any (no-) trade clause or anything, (so the possibility of being dealt) is part of the game.”

Benoit is under contract through the end of next season with a salary cap hit of $1.35 million US. It’s an affordable price for a third-pair D-man, but there’s no question that the Leafs will have to orchestrate some fairly significant change on their blue line during the off-season.

Only Troy Stecher will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Whether Morgan Rielly is asked to waive his no-movement clause this summer will be the biggest question regarding the Leafs’ defence corps. That would happen only if the trade market where Rielly is concerned improves.

For Benoit, he’s simply glad he’s still a Leaf.

“I love being here,” Benoit said. “They gave me a chance. I want to play for this logo. I try my hardest out there.
(but) it’s not going the way I wish it would go.”

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