The Leafs had arguably their worst effort of the season in a 3-0 loss to Ottawa
John Tavares has been through this before.
Since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in July 2018, the former captain has addressed the team's poor performances on several occasions.
But after a 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators, in which the Leafs looked out of sync from start to finish, Tavares appeared visibly upset—perhaps even angry—about his team’s play.
"We should be disappointed," Tavares said on Tuesday. "I mean, we can say we can wash this one, but I think it's disappointing just the way we've been playing over the past week and a good chance to carry it over after a couple of days. A good work day yesterday and divisional opponents."
The Leafs finished the game with an expected goals share of 25 percent at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. They’ve been missing Auston Matthews, who is still out with an upper-body injury sustained in the preseason. Before Tuesday’s game, the Leafs had been riding a three-game winning streak, though the struggle to produce offense at even strength remained an issue, coming to a head in the loss to Ottawa.
Things won’t get any easier for the Maple Leafs as they head to face the 10-4-0 Washington Capitals, a team averaging 4.21 goals per game and currently 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Alex Ovechkin has been on a tear, scoring eight goals in his last seven games, bringing him to 863 career goals—just 31 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894.
The Leafs flew to D.C. right after the game. Head coach Craig Berube shuffled lines, with Max Domi—who took over the top center spot in Matthews' absence—struggling to produce offensively. Domi has gone 11 games without a point.
With Matthews not skating in recent days, it seems unlikely he’ll be in the lineup against the Capitals. More details will be available closer to the 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop when Berube meets with the media.
Where to watch
In Canada, viewers can watch the game on Sportsnet. In the Capitals' broadcast area, the game will air on the Monumental Sports Network, while ESPN+ will stream it for the rest of the U.S.