The Toronto Maple Leafs’ three-game road trip began with a resounding thud on Thursday night, as the team was thoroughly outplayed in a 4-0 shutout loss to the Washington Capitals. While a malfunctioning power play was a glaring issue, head coach Craig Berube identified a deeper problem: a complete lack of passion and urgency from his squad.
A Complete Breakdown in Washington
Analysing the full 60 minutes of play, the issues for Toronto extended far beyond special teams. The team was consistently beaten in puck battles and appeared a step slow, particularly on Washington’s first three goals. The most egregious example came when the Maple Leafs executed a sluggish line change, allowing Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun an unimpeded path to the net to beat goaltender Dennis Hildeby.
Berube, who did not address the team post-game after voicing his frustrations on the bench during play, was blunt in his assessment. “They had way more urgency in their game, more passion,” the coach stated. When questioned about how that could happen with the playoff race so tight, Berube tersely replied, “ask those guys, not me.”
Captain Auston Matthews concurred with the critique, admitting “The neutral zone was a highway for them.” Veteran centre John Tavares, speaking before Berube, offered little defence for the performance, stating the team “didn’t make it hard on them” and failed to be difficult to play against. The loss leaves Toronto with a record of 15-13-5.
Power Play Hits New Low
The Maple Leafs’ struggling power play, which has been a season-long concern, reached a new nadir in the defeat. The unit, which finished the 2024-25 regular season ranked ninth at 24.8%, has plummeted to an efficiency rate of just 14.1% this year.
Berube was so dissatisfied with the top unit of Matthews, William Nylander, Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Morgan Rielly that he started the second group on the team’s lone third-period opportunity. “The power play had actually been getting better, tonight it was awful,” Berube concluded. “Our top unit didn’t execute, didn’t win any battles… just couldn’t make plays.”
The second group, featuring Max Domi, Easton Cowan, Nicholas Roy, and Bobby McMann with Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the point, generated the best scoring chances. Berube indicated he would revisit the idea of balancing two power-play units, a consideration he had floated days earlier, and did not rule out adding a different player to the mix.
Roster Decisions Loom Amid Freeze
With the NHL’s holiday roster freeze coming into effect on Friday, December 19, the Maple Leafs’ options for immediate change are limited. One potential internal adjustment is reinserting winger Matias Maccelli into the lineup. Maccelli has been a healthy scratch for nine consecutive games after recording just one assist in his first eight appearances.
Berube acknowledged the possibility of giving Maccelli another chance during the weekend’s back-to-back games, noting the player is not frustrated and understands he has more to offer. In a related roster move, the team sent defenseman Marshall Rifai to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on a conditioning loan as he recovers from wrist surgery.
The Maple Leafs will look to rebound from this deflating loss when they continue their road trip against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, hoping to rediscover the competitive fire their coach found so glaringly absent in the nation’s capital.
