The Toronto Maple Leafs over their recent seven-game stretch, feels as if they have had no desire to win and are just going through the motions until the season comes to an end. Since becoming sellers, the Maple Leafs have been lifeless, which includes games where they have a chance at coming back or even when they have had the lead in a close contest.
From an outside perspective, this could be completely different in the locker room, but it seems as if they don't care to win, or even don't hate to lose. Obviously, the Maple Leafs go out there to win and beat the other team; however, it just doesn't look like that. It looks as though they are just there because they need to be, and with no playoffs on the horizon, they just don't play together and feel as though what's the point? The Leafs are playing as if they are scared to win, and not afraid to lose.
The common trend behind the Toronto Maple Leafs failures
This has been a common occurrence with this group, but has been far more prominent since returning from the Olympic break. Looking back at all the major Maple Leafs losses in the playoffs, they all have a similar trend. When it comes down to crunch time or to even make a play to move on to the next round, they crumble. The narrative around this group and the top players in particular is that they don't have what it takes to win. If you are blocking out simply just the mental part of hockey and have looked at their rosters since making the postseason for the first time in 2016-17, many would say how many times have they won, and how many deep playoff runs this team has gone on? The true answer would be zero.
The Toronto Maple Leafs could become a threat in the NHL because of all the skill they have and the star power that should be able to push them over the hunt, dominate games, and win games they shouldn't, but it doesn't look that way, and it never has. At the end of every season interview, the Maple Leafs management staff, whether that has been Brad Treliving or Kyle Dubas, has always gotten the question, do these players have what it takes to win. The answer was always yes, but there has been no proven evidence of them being able to rise to the occasion and play solid hockey when it matters.
Can this core of Maple Leafs players win?
I do believe the Maple Leafs' current core has what it takes to win, but heading into next season, they have to begin playing like it is life or death. Every time they touch that ice, it doesn't matter if they are playing the worst or the best; it needs to be, I want to kill my opponents, I hate to lose. There is a famous quote in sports, and the Maple Leafs need to adopt it. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." The Maple Leafs have the talent, but do they have the desire to win? That will be the real question.