Don’t expect greatest hits album out of Toronto

Leafs still lack aggression and killer instinct that plagued them last year

The Maple Leafs have lost two games in a row in which they held leads, but were ultimately outhit by their opposition.

That would be Monday’s debacle, when they fumbled a four-goal lead fumble in a 6-5 overtime loss to Ottawa, and a loss to Montreal Saturday in which the visitors dramatically outhit the Leafs and scored two goals in the third period to snatch a 2-1 win.

Toronto’s leads did not crumble solely as a result of the Senators and Canadiens laying on the body more than the Leafs did. Rather, Toronto bemoaned the fact they failed to clean up a rash of poor decisions with the puck that led to turnovers and open chances, especially in the Senators game.

But it’s also no coincidence that the Leafs remain a study in contrasts: a team that leads the NHL in puck possession but ranks last in hits per game that separate a player from the puck.

Despite a roster that has been upgraded physically with the likes of Zach Bogosian, T.J. Brodie and the injured Wayne Simmonds, the Leafs still lack aggression and the killer instinct that plagued them last season when it came to closing out games.

“I think (Ottawa is) a team that’s just not going to go away, they work hard for the whole 60 minutes,” Leafs centre Auston Matthews said after Monday’s loss. “It doesn’t matter what the score is, they’re going to keep coming after you in waves.”

Ottawa outhit Toronto 25-21. Two nights before, Montreal’s 46-16 edge in hits was a big part of the Leafs’ 2-1 defeat, and a talking point in Zoom calls with Jake Muzzin and Alex Kerfoot before the Senators game.

“We talk about it,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We’ve got some guys, that’s not who they are, yet they are really good at getting a stick on the puck and getting separation that way. It’s not a matter of us running through guys and creating contact and finishing through checks when the puck is already gone. I believe in keeping yourself alive and in the play, that helping give a numerical advantage on the next play is important.

“But at the same time, we talked about when the puck is there and there’s an opportunity for us to establish an advantage on that play, we have to use our body physically to establish that. That’s been the message from day one in camp, and I think there’s been some growth there … We have other guys in our lineup, (more physicality) has to be part of who they are. At times, there’s been growth there, but we definitely need more consistency.”

Entering Wednesday’s rematch with Ottawa, the Leafs have six players through 16 games with at least five hits that separate a player from the puck — Justin Holl (10), John Tavares (seven), and Zach Bogosian, Austin Matthews, Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly (five each). Everyone else on the roster has three or fewer.

Keefe had physical forward Scott Sabourin working with the fourth line before Monday’s game but did not use him against Ottawa. He admitted Sabourin is “a different type of player than we have here.”

Still, the coach wasn’t asking his team to suddenly change character and start hitting everything in skates, even if the Leafs had just one hit that separated a player from the puck in third period Monday, when Ottawa scored three unanswered goals.