The Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks snapped a six-game losing streak, the longest it has been since 2019. The Maple Leafs remain well outside a playoff spot, but from the sounds of it, they are not giving up and will look to remain in the hunt coming down the stretch.
Recent reports show the Leafs will become sellers ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. But if the Leafs can string together some wins, it may prove to be a difficult decision for the Leafs management staff.
Auston Matthews postgame
Auston Matthews said following the Leafs' win, “I could have said that a couple games ago, but obviously, this one feels good.” The Leafs' captain felt the team performed well in Seattle but was unable to get the win. “We played well in Seattle, and it didn't come out our way, but I thought it was good that we just stuck with it.” Auston Matthews is committed to staying with the Maple Leafs long-term and very clearly wants to win here and be a part of the solution rather than the problem.
Matthew's mindset switch is clear within this quote. I feel that you can get a feeling that the team heading into this game felt down on themselves and weren't sure how they can get out of this mess. When Matthews touches upon this game feeling good, it gets the players to switch their mindsets back into the good rather than the bad. Over this past stretch, where the Maple Leafs didn't play their best, all they were thinking about was how to fix their mistakes, which led them to play more slowly and cautiously. This win should make the team play more freely and attack the other teams instead of sitting back and holding on.
Craig Berube's thoughts
Craig Berube added post-game “It’s a good feeling in there right now after losing six in a row.” “It's tough, but they worked their way out of it tonight... They weren't going to be denied.” This quote alone shows that the team wants to win, and dig themselves out of this hole. There were many times throughout the Canucks game, where it seemed as the Leafs simply don't have it anymore and it's time to move on from this era, but the players and coaches don't want that, they want to do anything in their power to win.
Berube has been hard on the Maple Leafs all season and has not been shy about this. He has constantly called out star players, the leadership team, and goalies to be better. He expects a high standard of hockey because of the talent and potential this team has shown. Berube, during the intermission, must have had a different approach which changed the way the Leafs play the game. This changed their mindset and the way they attacked the Canucks to come back and take the game in a shootout. Leading to the quote, they weren't going to be denied. They found a way to win and switch the way they thought about the game.
Joseph Woll on the Leafs mindset
“I think from here on out, we need every game pretty badly," Woll said. "So it's going to be a playoff mindset... I think we really showed it”. This was a quote said by Joseph Woll following the game. Woll was excellent during Saturday night's contest. He stopped 39 of 41 shots, which gave the Leafs the best opportunity for them to win. The Leafs moving forward need to provide more support past Woll, however Saturday night's win is a game where they can build off of this and gain some momentum moving down the stretch.
The Maple Leafs need to take it one day at a time moving forward; they can't get ahead of themselves, or else they will slip even further. As Woll said, they have to be in playoff survival mode, or else they won't be able to swim with the sharks. This game could either mark the day the Leafs begin playing good hockey, or it could be the end of a wasted era.