Goalie Frederik Andersen is the first to admit he's played a role in the current malaise after being pulled for the second consecutive game. He's allowed eight goals in the past 33 shots, lowering his save percentage for the season from .924 to .920.
But even Andersen knows the Maple Leafs issues run far deeper than his struggles. He, like his teammates, was at a loss to explain why there were so many defensive breakdowns after they'd specifically worked on solving them earlier in the day.
"By saying that we have to play for each other, I mean communicating with each other," Andersen said. "We have to do a better job of that. It falls on everyone. It's something we have to look at."
Toronto was missing four regulars -- forwards Kasperi Kapanen (concussion), Zach Hyman (illness) and defensemen Travis Dermott (shoulder) and Jake Gardiner (back) -- but forward Auston Matthews refuses to use that as an excuse.
"We weren't ready to play again," Matthews said. "We were flat-footed … Guys were pretty [peeved off] when we came into the room and motivated to get back out there. We just came up short tonight but that first period obviously was unacceptable."
Keep this in mind: It was Matthews who said the team quit in the third period against the Lightning. Their effort wasn't much better in the first period against the Blackhawks.
"We hold each other accountable in this room," Matthews said. "Like I said, it's unacceptable. We can't be doing that at this point in the season with these important points on the line. We're battling for home ice and we got to step it up."