For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to get back on track when they return to Air Canada Center to face the Detroit Red Wings, but the time they take to the ice on Tuesday, their task of earning an Eastern Conference playoff spot may be a lot more difficult.
The club has lost their last five games and earned one of a possible six points on their three-game road swing through the Golden State and have allowed the New York Islanders to pass them, Boston and Ottawa to widen the gap in the Atlantic Division and three other clubs to move to within two points.
Leafs working in some green equipment at rare Sunday practice; nobody tell @e_FashionPolice
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 5, 2017
Toronto will wear St. Pats uniforms on March 18 pic.twitter.com/3FaAqkMfbl
“We’ve just had a lull. It’s time to get on a roll. You have lulls in a year, that’s just the way it is, but if you want to feel sorry for yourself, the lull will continue.… Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after an unusual Sunday morning practice at MasterCard Center. “You want to feel bad for yourself and go home and mope, but you’re not getting any better. If you want to dig in and get onto the next thing, then you can and that’s our opportunity right here and right now. I’m confident we’ll do that.…
Currently the Leafs have 70 points with 18 games remaining. If you use last season as a benchmark, the Detroit Red Wings finished third in the Atlantic with 93 points and Philadelphia earned the second wildcard with 96.
Toronto’s schedule is not easy, with 10 home games and eight on the road. They go head-to-head against the three teams (Florida, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia) five times, play in Buffalo twice (where they almost never win), Columbus twice, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington and finish the year with six games in nine nights.
The Leafs would have to go 11-6-1 to get to 93 points, which is hard to imagine with their competition stepping up their efforts since the All-Star break.
*******
Josh Leivo and newcomer Eric Fehr were extra skaters at practice on Sunday and forward Ben Smith was paired with defenseman Martin Marincin, which is an indicator that there will be no lineup changes for Tuesday’s contest against the Red Wings.
*******
Listen to the latest edition of Off The Post with Russ Cohen, Anthony Mingioni and myself as we review last week’s Trade Deadline:
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.******* KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information click here.