Maple Leafs tie humiliating franchise record in latest loss

Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs were serenaded with a chorus of boos from the home fans at Scotiabank Arena, but unlike the last time, there wasn't a happy ending to last night's game.

Not only did several Leafs players deliver subpar performances, but the Senators managed to score six goals by the conclusion of the game. Rather than capitalizing on the momentum from their dramatic come-from-behind win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Leafs fell short with a disappointing performance on their home ice and dropped to a pedestrian 6-5-2 record through 13 games.

And thanks to their inability to keep the puck out of their own net, they tied an unfortunate team record that was originally set back in the 1970's. They've allowed at least 4+ goals in their last seven home games, which hasn't been done since the 1976-77 season.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe pulled no punches in his postgame remarks, stating that his concern level over the porous defense was "very high".

"Some of it is individual, he said of the defensive struggles. "Some of it is collective within the structure. Some of it is just being committed to it."

"We sit here and celebrate guys who score big numbers and score a ton. We don’t talk enough about what we give up. That is the reality. We have to prioritize keeping the puck out of our net."

The Leafs will have a chance to try and right the ship when they bring in the Calgary Flames to Scotiabank Arena tomorrow night. A matchup against the Flames could be what they need, considering Calgary's well-documented struggles of their own this year.

"We have to get our game in order and do all that we can to take care of each other — take care of guys who are struggling at whatever position it is," Keefe said. "The team and cohesion of the group, the process that you play with, should take care of everybody. That is where we have been disconnected at times."

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