""Now that they're going through a malaise one year later with still the veteran core of this team, I think to make a coaching change at this juncture in time would be a mistake to let this core of players off the hook for the way they started the season and frankly for the lack of intensity that they've had," said Seravalli. "That hasn't been a change from the coaching staff. That's what stands out to me as the Leafs tried to grind through this. It hasn't just been the injuries. It's been the lack of consistency which has come from the lack of work ethic and effort.""
"The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in rough shape since the start of the season. Sure, the goals are arriving from the likes of captain Auston Matthews and William Nylander, but the team's defense has been shoddy at best. It's hard to win games without solid defensive effort. Their recent stretch to the 2025-26 season has seen them hit a five-game losing streak."
"The Leafs' effort and work ethic has come under fire early on this season. There was the incident earlier this season where goalie Anthony Stolarz called out his team for the way they all played in a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken From not playing well enough on defense, to not giving the opposing goalie and tough shots in the offensive zone, to not attacking the crease."
The Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling early in the 2025-26 season, with a five-game losing streak and persistent defensive breakdowns despite scoring from Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Attention has focused on head coach Craig Berube after inconsistent team performance and visible effort concerns. A case has been made to retain the coach to avoid letting the veteran core evade responsibility for a slow start and apparent lack of intensity. Injuries are not the sole explanation; lapses in work ethic, consistency, and effort have been cited, and internal criticism has already surfaced from players and coaching reactions in practice.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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