TORONTO – William Nylander scored the go-ahead goal on a power play 36 seconds into the third period as the Maple Leafs came back from a 3-1 deficit to top the Anaheim Ducks 6-4 and snap an eight-game slide Thursday on a night that saw Toronto lose captain Auston Matthews to injury.

Matias Maccelli, with a goal and two assists, Matthews, John Tavares and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, against his former team, provided the rest of the offence for Toronto (28-27-11).

Matthew Knies chipped in three assists to go along with an empty-net goal. Nylander added two assists of his own for a three-point performance. Joseph Woll made 36 saves.

Matthews ended a 12-game goal drought — the second longest of his career — but took a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas with four minutes left in the second period. The centre stayed down favouring his left leg before being helped to the locker room. Gudas was assessed a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct.

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Cutter Gauthier, Ian Moore, Pavel Mintyukov and Alex Killorn scored for Anaheim (36-26-3). Lukas Dostal stopped 22 shots as the Pacific Division-leading Ducks fell to 15-5-0 over their last 20 games. Jeffrey Viel had two assists.

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The Maple Leafs are an ugly 1-6-2 since the Olympic break to sink any realistic hope of a 10th straight playoff appearance. The Original Six franchise won at home for the first time since Jan. 10 to end a 0-6-2 stretch at Scotiabank Arena.

TAKEAWAYS

Maple Leafs: Rugged winger Michael Pezzetta made his Toronto debut. The 27-year-old local product was recalled earlier in the day from the American Hockey League, where he’s registered four goals, six assists and 52 penalty minutes across 37 games. Pezzetta had a spirited fight with Viel one second after the opening faceoff.

Ducks: The club leads the Pacific with 75 points but would be below the playoff cutline in the Eastern Conference.

KEY MOMENT

Matthews tried to avoid Gudas in the slot in the second with his team down 3-2, but took a direct hit to his left knee from the hard-nosed blueliner. Tavares scored on the ensuing power play before Nylander gave Toronto the lead on the same man advantage early in the third.

KEY STAT

Anaheim has lost eight straight in Toronto dating back to Dec. 19, 2016. The Maple Leafs have also won six in a row overall against Thursday’s opponent.

UP NEXT

Ducks: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Maple Leafs: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026.

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OTTAWA – Martin St. Louis may have tough decisions ahead.

The Montreal Canadiens coach raised eyebrows when he announced Jacob Fowler would start Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.

The 21-year-old was instrumental, however, in Montreal’s 3-2 victory with 32 saves.

After his recall from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket, Fowler was in Ottawa ahead of his teammates Tuesday while Jakub Dobes made 17 saves in Montreal’s 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

Samuel Montembeault was Dobes’ backup in Toronto, but the Canadiens still opted to recall Fowler.

He’d played his first 10 NHL games earlier this season. Fowler from Melbourne, Fla., went 4-4-2 with a .903 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average in that stretch. His previous appearance was Jan. 15 against the Buffalo Sabres.

With the Canadiens (36-18-10) looking to firmly lock down a playoff spot, it’s clear St. Louis was willing to go with whoever he felt provides his team with the best chance to win.

He was impressed by his young goaltender’s composure in a game that had playoff intensity. The Senators (32-23-9) are on the outside of the playoffs and fighting to gain ground.

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“I thought he battled,” said St. Louis. “He made some huge saves for us. It’s such a game of inches in terms of winning and losing and it usually comes down to your goaltender and I thought he did that …this game could have gone either way and I think Fowler did the job.”

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Teammates were quick to recognize their young goaltender’s performance.

“We know what he’s capable of, but I mean some of those saves he made late in the game there is a big reason why we won the game,” said Alex Newhook. “A lot of credit to him. Great to see.”

Fowler wasn’t as nervous as he was in his debut Dec. 11, when he had 33 saves in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“The first experience had me a little bit more ready for this,” said Fowler. “Before (it) was a little bit more new stuff. Here, I was just kind of rejoining a team I felt I was a part of and super-happy to be a part of this team and great win for our group.”

Fowler lauded his teammates’ efforts in the final three minutes Wednesday when Ottawa pressed hard for an equalizer.

Fowler made a number of key saves, but Alexandre Carrier and Phillip Danault also blocked shots by from Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stutzle to secure the win.

“It was pretty hectic,” recalled Fowler. “Couple plays there that our guys on the ice were pretty gassed and a lot of huge blocks there down the stretch. You know the last few minutes, there were a lot of guys doing a lot of hard things to get a win, and that’s what it takes this time of year.”

With 18 games remaining in their regular season, the Canadiens are focused on positioning themselves for a playoff run.

The win over the Senators ranked the Canadiens third in the Atlantic Division, with a three-point lead on the Detroit Red Wings and four on Boston, who hold the two wild cards.

‘You can’t buy that experience where we are in the season against that team,” said St. Louis. “Pretty good rivalry for us, on the road. You can’t buy that. So, for me, I think high marks the way (Fowler) played.”

With back-to-back games against San Jose and Anaheim this weekend, the coach’s decisions around his starting goaltender will be interesting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026

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Life after the Milan Cortina Olympics has been tough for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto is a dismal 0-6-2 since the NHL resumed play following the Winter Games. The Leafs’ latest setback was a 3-1 decision in Montreal on Tuesday night.

Toronto did gain a point with a 4-3 shootout loss to New Jersey on March 4 but followed that up with a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., 45 per cent of Proline players backed New Jersey’s win. Thirty-nine per cent had Toronto at +1.5 goals while 57 per cent correctly took the over at six.

But only 31 per cent of players had New York to earn its victory while 57 per cent had the over at six.

And then Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning added to Toronto’s woes with a 5-2 victory. A solid 77 per cent of bettors backed the Lightning while 73 per cent successfully took the over 6.5 goals.

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Also on Saturday, 91 per cent backed the Winnipeg Jets’ 3-2 victory over Vancouver while 61 per cent correctly picked Montreal in its 4-3 victory over Los Angeles. Just eight per cent of bettors had Calgary earning a 5-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes while 63 per cent saw the Ottawa Senators downing Seattle 7-4.

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Last week wasn’t a great one for the Toronto Raptors, who went 1-2, the lone victory being a 122-92 decision Sunday over the Dallas Mavericks. That followed losses to the New York Knicks (111-95 on March 3) and a 115-107 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 5.

Sixty-nine per cent of bettors backed New York’s win while 77 per cent had the Knicks on the spread at -2.5 points. Twenty per cent took the under at 222 points.

Seventy-three per cent of players backed Minnesota’s win while 51 per cent had the Timberwolves on the spread at -6. Twenty-four per cent had the over of 225.5.

A resounding 91 per cent of bettors had Toronto downing Dallas while 68 per cent had the Raptors on the spread of -10. And 45 per cent had the under at 229 points.

Canada split its first two games at the World Baseball Classic. The Canadians opened with an 8-2 win over Columbia before dropping a 4-3 decision to Panama.

Eighty-four per cent of bettors backed Canada’s opening win with 97 per cent having the Canadians at -1.5 run. Eighty-four per cent had the over at nine.

But only 25 per cent had Panama earning its victory while just 17 per cent of bettors had the winners +4.5 runs. Just 44 per cent took the under at 10.

A digital customer won $1,146.15 on a $2 wager on a six-leg NHL parlay while a retail player turned a $2 bet into a $6,050.40 windfall after hitting on an eight-leg NHL parlay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.

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Mike Sullivan has delivered plenty of speeches in the locker room.

Playoff games. Stanley Cup finals. A gold-medal showdown at the Olympics.

The New York Rangers bench boss has also addressed teams in the dog days of a professional hockey schedule that might stretch from September to late June.

“You can play over 100 times a year as an NHL hockey player,” Sullivan said. “I feel like the Knute Rockne speeches get old.”

That’s in reference to the famed University of Notre Dame football coach’s legendary motivational pre-game rallying cry of “Win one for the Gipper” from the 1920s in honour of late star halfback George Gipp.

Sullivan, who helped the United States defeat Canada in a thrilling showdown to top the podium at the recent Milan Cortina Games, instead usually takes a measured approach when he has his group’s full attention.

“This biggest thing is to be real and just to be authentic and be yourself,” the two-time Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins said earlier this season. “Try to keep that messaging simple and clear.”

Coaches hitting the right note and having a handle on their teams are crucial to delivering a message.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube provided a memorable speech before his St. Louis Blues went out and won Game 7 of the 2019 Cup final on the road. His words caught on camera outlined structural points, while at the same time emphasizing his belief.

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“We’re gonna f—— come home with the Cup,” Berube concluded.

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Blues centre Robert Thomas, who was in the room that June night, said the moments before puck drop can play a significant role in the outcome.

“Maybe you’re trying to just settle it down or focus energy,” he said of a coach. “If it’s a Tuesday in November, maybe it’s bringing that excitement. It’s about reading the room and seeing how your guys are feeling and how you can try and get their best.”

New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said a pre-game speech should strike a balance with teaching and video work already complete.

“You want to be consistent in terms of how you lay things out,” he said. “You’re going to be short and direct, and let the players go out and do their thing.”

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart sometimes catches himself waiting to see what his bench boss, the colourful Paul Maurice, has in store for — especially on a long road trip or before the second game of a back-to-back, when legs can be heavy.

“You go through the your warm-up, you’re exhausted, you’re not really feeling it,” Reinhart said. “He’s got a knack of switching that mentality and getting you ready. It’s a tough skill. I don’t think there’s a lot of coaches that are able to do that … you’re curious what kind of angle he’s going to take.”

“Usually, he’s hitting the nail on the head.”

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, meanwhile, said it isn’t his job to get players’ blood pumping on a nightly basis.

“If you’re not motivated to go play in the league, you’re in the wrong business,” he said. “But I know over 82 games, sometimes you have to inspire your group … it’s just a feeling you get. I try to do that, be precise with that when it’s the right time.”

Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators — like Sullivan, Berube, St. Louis and Keefe, a former NHL player — said a lack of authenticity will be sniffed out.

“Been around some coaches that overthink it,” he said. “The message has to be real. It goes by who you are, what you believe in, what you’ve been through, and how you see it. If the coach feels it, I think the players feel it.

“A lot of players see right through a coach when it’s phoney. You’ve always got to be yourself.”

EAST IS A BEAST

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper has seen plenty in his day. He hasn’t experienced anything like the Eastern Conference gauntlet of 2025-26.

The West is top-heavy with the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota — all in the Central Division — leading the charge, but also has the five of the league’s six bottom-feeders.

The Pacific Division, meanwhile, is led by the Anaheim Ducks, who would be on the outside of the East’s playoff picture with 75 points. The Boston Bruins currently occupy the second wild-card spot with 78.

“This is as tough a conference as I’ve ever seen it,” Cooper said. “Anybody’s game, this one. It felt like the West, there was a little bit of an arms race (at the trade deadline), where some of the top dogs made themselves better.

“Eastern teams did make some moves, but it seemed like there was a little bit more of, ‘We like what we have and we’re gonna go for it.’”

-With files from Daniel Rainbird in Montreal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.

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MONTREAL – Craig Berube liked what he saw — in most of the final 40 minutes.

The first period, meanwhile, looked far more like the version of the Toronto Maple Leafs that has them staring down a lengthy losing streak and a first missed trip to the playoffs since 2016.

The Montreal Canadiens jumped out to a 2-0 lead en route to a 3-1 win over their Original Six rivals Tuesday night, extending Toronto’s winless skid to eight games.

“They outskated us and had the play in the first period,” Leafs coach Berube said. “I thought we did a much better job in the second period, got ourselves back in the game. We just need more.

“We just needed more of a push from a lot of guys.”

The Canadiens dominated early, toying with the Leafs in the offensive zone to hold a 15-8 edge in shots after 20 minutes.

Zachary Bolduc saw an early chance go wide and Kaiden Guhle ripped a shot off Joseph Woll’s mask before Oliver Kapanen opened the scoring less than five minutes in, finishing a slick passing play with Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook with a deke from the goal line.

Montreal kept pressing until Phillip Danault capitalized on a fortuitous bounce to make it 2-0 at 14:41, as Guhle’s dump-in ricocheted off the glass and landed on the veteran centre’s stick for his fifth of the season.

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“They definitely had the play in the first for sure, had the puck,” Berube said. “We didn’t check it off of them and then when we did, we didn’t do anything with the puck. Didn’t get up the ice as a five-man unit and create anything. We had five shots on net and a couple chances, but not enough.”

Toronto pushed back in the second period with William Nylander cutting into the lead after a give-and-go with Easton Cowan during a strong stretch in the second period, but Montreal shut the game down in the third — with help from two Leafs penalties in the final nine minutes.

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Nylander said although the push back may be encouraging, it’s still far from where the Maple Leafs need to be.

“It’s a lot of losses in a row now,” he said. “Parts of all the games we’ve been playing, we’ve been playing snippets of good hockey. And I mean, that’s not how we want to play when we play a full game of good hockey. So until we trend closer to that, I think (that’s when) it will be positive.

“They were kind of all over us. Sometimes that happens, teams are all over (you), but to give up that many chances to begin with, it’s kind of tough. Woll did a great job and kept us in the game all night.”

The Maple Leafs (27-27-11) fell 13 points outside the playoffs and 15 behind the Canadiens (35-18-10), who jumped to third in the Atlantic Division.

So why can’t Toronto put together a full game of “good hockey”?

“It’s tough to say, but it’s hard to win in this league if you don’t get it,” Berube said. “You don’t have to dominate a period, but you have to be in the game. You got to create and you got to defend.

“Throughout this stretch, there’s been a lot of good hockey, but then there’s that stretch of — if it’s a period or a 10-minute stretch in a period — where these teams score two, three goals on us.”

Berube then pointed out that the Leafs can’t score their way out of those lapses. Toronto captain Auston Matthews — a former 69-goal scorer — extended his goalless streak to 12 games on Tuesday.

“Right now, we can’t find the back of the net enough,” he said. “When this is going on, you got to keep the puck out of our net as much as possible, hopefully find our groove with the scoring, but we need more guys to dig in and contribute than there is right now.”

Over in the Canadiens dressing room, centre Jake Evans called the outing their “most complete game.”

“I felt the third period, we were in control for most of it,” he said. “We just didn’t get that third or maybe even fourth goal to take them out of it, and they fought hard to battle back.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.

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MONTREAL – Oliver Kapanen scored his 20th of the season as the Montreal Canadiens held on for a 3-1 win and handed the Toronto Maple Leafs their eighth consecutive loss on Tuesday night.

Phillip Danault also scored, while Jake Evans added an empty-net goal for Montreal (35-18-10). Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.

William Nylander replied for struggling Toronto (27-27-11), which is on track to miss the playoffs after nine consecutive trips to the post-season.

Joseph Woll stopped 30 shots in a solid outing.

The Maple Leafs entered the night 11 points outside the playoffs and 13 behind the Canadiens, who held the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Kapanen opened the scoring 4:46 into the first period, finishing a slick passing play with Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook with a deke from the goal line. Demidov held off two Maple Leafs in the corner before sending the puck to Newhook, who fed Kapanen down low.

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Danault then capitalized on a fortuitous bounce to put the Canadiens up 2-0 at 14:41 as Kaiden Guhle’s dump-in ricocheted off the glass and rolled in front of the Maple Leafs’ net, gifting the veteran centre his fifth of the season.

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Nylander buried his 22nd from a give-and-go with Easton Cowan, putting Toronto on the board at 14:33 in the second after Dobes’ flurry of saves kept it a two-goal game with the Leafs pressing.

TAKEAWAYS

Canadiens: Besides two shifts on the power play, Cole Caufield sat at the end of the Canadiens’ bench from late in the second period through the end of the game. Montreal’s leading goal scorer appeared to be in some discomfort, with trainers occasionally checking in, though it was unclear when he was injured.

Maple Leafs: The Canadiens dominated play early, toying with the Leafs in the offensive zone to lead the game 2-0 — and the shot count 15-8 — after 20 minutes. Toronto pushed back in the second period with Nylander cutting into the lead after Montreal missed several opportunities to pile on, but Montreal hung on in the third.

KEY MOMENT

Late in the first period, veteran Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher, after he interfered with Cowan, fought Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe as the building erupted.

KEY STAT

Toronto captain Auston Matthews — a former 69-goal scorer — extended his goalless streak to 12 games.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Canadiens: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2026.

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TORONTO – Corey Perry arrived bleary eyed to Scotiabank Arena after a long travel day.

The veteran forward had agreed to a trade hours earlier that sent him from the Los Angeles Kings back to a franchise he knows well in hopes of chasing that elusive second Stanley Cup ring.

Perry then went out and made an immediate impact with his new — and old — team on the way to victory.

The 40-year-old scored as part of first-period explosion Saturday as Tampa Bay blew past the fading Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2.

Acquired for a second-round pick at the 2028 NHL draft just ahead of the league’s Friday trade deadline, Perry spent two seasons with the Lightning from 2021 to 2023, including the club’s march to the 2022 final.

“A little hectic, a little crazy,” Perry, who arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. and didn’t clear customs for another 90 minutes, said following the morning skate. “I’m excited to be here and see where this can go.”

The Peterborough, Ont., product had 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 50 games with the Kings after suffering a knee injury that required surgery right before training camp.

Perry, who won the Cup with Anaheim in 2007, has made the final five of the last six seasons, but finished on the losing end in each title series with the Dallas Stars (2021), Montreal Canadiens (2021), Lightning and Edmonton Oilers (2024 and 2025).

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“He’s a catalyst,” Tampa head coach Jon Cooper said. “He transcends time. It’s amazing what he can do. I don’t expect him to go in there and play 20 minutes a night, but I do feel we’re a better team.

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“It’s much more than the stuff he does on the ice. It’s on the bench. He sees things, he says things, and you’re just always like, ‘Huh? I wish I would have thought of that.’”

Perry rejoined an organization that topped both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings with 82 points heading into Sunday’s matchup in Buffalo against the second-place Sabres.

“It’s kind of like I never left,” he said. “A lot of old faces, some new faces, but it’s still hockey. It’s still the same things. You just go out and you play.”

Perry had a no-movement clause in his contract with the Kings, and wrestled with the decision to stay or go before deciding Tampa was the right call.

“Had a bunch of discussions (with) my wife,” he said. “You have a chance to win a Stanley Cup and come to a great team and great Cup contender, that’s what the end goal is.”

Cooper was asked how Perry — a former Hart Trophy winner as league MVP — has managed to stay relevant in a sport that continues to get younger.

“There’s an art to it,” said the coach. “Players get away with it between 19 and 28, 29 … they feel untouchable. But if you want to really have longevity and extend your career, there’s a lot that goes into it. He’s constantly stretching, he’s constantly just doing things that look after himself.

“He’s just built the right way.”

BOO BIRDS

The Maple Leafs suffered a seventh straight defeat (0-5-2) coming off the Olympic break to continue a disastrous stretch that’s seen their hopes of a 10th straight trip to the playoffs all but dashed.

The club was booed by the fans still inside an quickly emptying rink as the clock ticked down Saturday.

“People are going to be frustrated and they’re spending their hard-earned money to come watch us play,” Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz said. “We gotta find a way to crawl out of this, and just put together a complete 60 minutes.”

So why has it been so difficult to find that total effort on so many nights?

“We’ve beaten some really good teams this year,” Stolarz added. “It’s definitely frustrating. That’s something that’s gonna have to come from within the room here.

“We’ve got 18 games left and no one’s feeling sorry for us.”

ATLANTIC STRUGGLES

Similar to Toronto, the back-to-back Cup-winning Florida Panthers are also trending toward their first missed post-season since 2019.

Cooper was quizzed about what he’s seen from a pair of former division heavyweights this campaign.

“I’ve gone through what the Panthers have gone through,” he said. “Going to three straight finals, it’s trying, it’s tough. But we were fortunate to continue making the playoffs. They had some massive injuries … their run has been pretty special.”

Cooper also hinted the loss of star winger Mitch Marner has played a significant role in Toronto’s struggles.

“They don’t have the fruits of their labour like the way Florida does,” he said of a franchise with just two series wins since 2004. “It’s probably tougher to swallow for the Leafs in a way, but when there’s roster change, it can affect things.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2026.

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TORONTO – Nikita Kucherov had three assists in a four-goal first period and added another in the third to give him 100 points on the season as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised past the listless Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday.

Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel, with a goal and an assist each, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Ryan McDonagh and the newly reacquired Corey Perry scored for Tampa (39-18-4), which snapped a four-game slide that came on the heels of a 20-1-1 streak.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves. Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli added two assists.

Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson replied for Toronto (27-26-11). Anthony Stolarz stopped 28 shots.

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The Maple Leafs, who are now 10 points back of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and were booed off the ice, have dropped seven straight (0-5-2) since returning from the NHL’s Olympic break.

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Tampa tops the East and the Atlantic Division with 82 points, which put them 17 clear of Saturday’s opponent.

Toronto captain Auston Matthews, who hit the post in the third period on a shot that glanced off Vasilevskiy, has now gone 11 games without scoring, and has just one goal in his last 15 contests.

TAKEAWAYS

Maple Leafs: The club said goodbye to three forwards ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Toronto shipped Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche, Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken, and Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings for draft picks.

Lightning: Perry was reacquired from L.A. and arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. Saturday. The 40-year-old played two seasons with the Lightning from 2021 through 2023, including a trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2022.

KEY MOMENT

With the scored tied 1-1 in the first period, Tampa buried three goals in a 2:36 span to pull away, with two coming on Kucherov setups.

KEY STAT

Toronto hasn’t won at home since a 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 10.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

TORONTO – Oliver Ekman-Larsson was happy to wake up Saturday still a member of the Maple Leafs.

The veteran, Stanley Cup-winning defenceman was held out of two games by the woefully underperforming club ahead of the NHL trade deadline for “roster management purposes” as Toronto fielded offers for a player with two seasons remaining on his contract.

When the bell sounded at 3 p.m. ET Friday and general managers could make no more moves, the 34-year-old was relieved to still be sporting blue and white.

It’s also clear the last stretch weighed heavily on his mind.

“It’s hard, especially for me,” Ekman-Larsson said Saturday morning before the Maple Leafs faced the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena. “I wanted to be here and we love it here … that makes it even harder.”

Asked if fences needed to be mended with an organization that signed him to a four-year, US$14-million deal in July 2024 after a title-winning campaign for the Florida Panthers, he smiled, shifted his body, and then chose the next words out of his mouth carefully.

“I don’t know,” Ekman-Larsson replied. “I was just, like I said, happy to still be here … that’s what I wanted, and that’s what my family wanted, so super excited about that. I still have a lot of belief in this organization and love being here. I was trying not to think about it too much.

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“But it was pretty tough.”

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The Maple Leafs (27-25-11), who sat eight points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot heading into Saturday and look poised to miss the annual Cup chase for the first time since 2016, have occupied a post-season spot for just 48 hours since Nov. 12, and own an ugly 4-10-4 record since topping the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in mid-January.

Ekman-Larsson was asked why he still believes in a roster that has painfully underperformed after making the second round of the playoffs — its ninth consecutive appearance in hockey’s annual spring dance — just over nine months ago.

“Still think that we can do something special,” said the Swede, who also represented his country at the Milan Cortina Olympics. “Hasn’t gone the way we wanted this year, but still like the pieces that we have.”

Toronto did wave goodbye to three forwards ahead of the deadline, with Nicolas Roy (Colorado), Bobby McMann (Seattle Kraken) and Scott Laughton (Los Angeles Kings) all shown the door in return for draft capital.

“It’s always tough,” said Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who has made the playoffs each of his nine NHL seasons. “Every year you’re gonna lose guys. Obviously, this year’s a little bit different. But you lost some great people, great teammates, great players.

“You just gotta keep pushing forward.”

The list of issues for Toronto in a campaign that is circling the drain has included an inability to endure injuries to key personnel, a sub-par power play despite loads of offensive talent, difficulty sticking to head coach Craig Berube’s style, a seeming lack of engagement for long stretches, and a defensive output that had allowed a league-worst 31.9 shots against per game.

“You lay in the bed you make,” Matthews said. “But we can only control what’s in front of us right now, and that’s our attitude and our compete level.”

The Maple Leafs entered the Olympic break with three straight victories and hopes of making a push before a stunningly uninspired, disjointed 0-4-2 run in their return to action put what look to be the final few nails into their season.

“We’ve just had those swings too much,” Matthews said. “We’ll string together five, six, seven really good games and get on a good roll. And then vice versa, we’ll get on a bad swing of games … where it’s not going well or we’re disconnected. It’s always a roller-coaster throughout a season. No matter how good the team’s playing or no matter how good things are going, there’s always going to be ups and downs.

“Our swings have just been too high and then too low.”

Ekman-Larsson, who leads the defence corps with 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 60 games, said it’s important Toronto sticks together despite the long odds.

“We’re not done yet,” he said. “We all are accountable for the situation that we’re in. We want to show that we can play better. We have a lot to play for — our fans, our teammates.”

A team and city Ekman-Larsson, despite a desperately disappointing season, remains happy to call home.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.

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