<p>Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn (14) protects the puck from Toronto Maple Leafs' William Nylander (88) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) during first period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn</p>

TORONTO - Craig Berube wanted more life and energy.

The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach felt his players delivered. The result, however, was more of the same.

And now a team that did well to grasp a new system in the first half of the NHL season is facing its first real bumps in the road.

"The game was right there," Berube said after Toronto fell 4-1 to the Dallas Stars on home ice Tuesday. "We're not getting the bounces, I don't think, but we're not executing good enough with the puck."

The Leafs (27-16-2) dropped a third consecutive game in regulation for the first time in 2024-25 after Thursday's 6-3 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and Saturday's 3-0 home setback to the Vancouver Canucks, who only arrived in town some seven hours before puck drop due to weather-related travel delays.

Toronto's lack of offence the last two outings is a mildly concerning sign for a roster led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares that's historically used to filling the net.

"We're going through adversity right now," said Matthews, in his first season as captain. "As much as you prefer not to go through that, it's necessary sometimes. These are the moments where we've got to come together even more and stick with each other and work our way out of it."

Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said sticking to the game plan is key.

"Overall this year we have been playing some good hockey," he said. "We just need to get back to the stuff that works. We know that we have it in this room. We've just got to work a little bit harder when things are not going our way."

Tavares said Berube — a Stanley Cup winner in his first season with Toronto — and the coach's defensively sound, north-south approach has been good for a group looking to break through in the playoffs.

"We've just got to stay with it and trust what we're doing," said the veteran centre. "Especially with the type of talent we have."

The Leafs' power play, which entered 2-for-12 over its last five games, was fruitless on its two chances against the stingy Stars, but had some good looks in the first period — including two posts — after Matthews gave his team an early lead.

Dallas, meanwhile, scored on two of its three man-advantage opportunities.

"It was a special-teams battle," Berube said. "I thought 5-on-5, pretty even game, pretty tight game, not much going on either way."

Matthews said his group should be able to excel at both ends of the rink.

"We've got enough skill and speed," he said. "We've got to do a good job defending and be connected in all three zones."

Fans at Scotiabank Arena booed their team in the third period for a second straight game — something Berube had no issue with.

"They pay good money," he said. "They want to see us win."

"It's frustrating losing," Ekman-Larsson added. "We feel the same."

WHISTLE ISSUES

The Leafs were only assessed three minor penalties, including two on Tavares — hooking and slashing — that had him shaking his head in the box.

"Didn't like them," he said of the calls. "But at the end of the day, it's out of your control. We've got to find a way to dig deep and then just continue to play through it. Only so much you can talk to the officials about. Eventually you've got to go out there and play and do your job and execute better."

PRAISE FOR TANNY

Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll and Stars counterpart Jake Oettinger, who are close friends, were at dinner Monday when the topic shifted to gritty defenceman Chris Tanev.

The hard-nosed blueliner was a trade deadline acquisition by Dallas last season before helping the club make the Western Conference final. The shot-blocking aficionado then joined Toronto over the summer.

"One of my favourite defenceman I ever played behind," Oettinger said before Tuesday's game. "A goalie's dream."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025