Tavares believes Leafs need to work on game management after 'sloppy' loss to Devils

""A little too sloppy," Tavares said. "First period, did some good things. Second period, I think we were a little sluggish to start, but we started to respond and carry play. We just have to be smarter with the puck and the way we're managing the game. A team like that with the way they can skate and how quick they are in transition, it obviously really hurt us, and we were chasing it from there.""

""I don't think we're managing the game the way that we need to," Tavares said. "We need to invest shift after shift, wear opponents down. We talk about checking and grinding and the things that we want to make part of our identity and that we do well. To build on some of those things that we brought into our game last year. We haven't gone to that consistently enough.""

""(We need to have) the awareness, the time and place, and the ability just to make a play," Tavares said. "I think the intentions are there, but in the execution, we have to be better. It starts with myself, but we all have to understand the importance of that situation and other areas of our game we have to be consistent with.""

The Maple Leafs were sloppy and sluggish in the second period, allowing the Devils three goals in the first five minutes. The team must be smarter with puck management and overall game management, since the Devils' speed and transition play forced the Leafs to chase. Consistent investment shift after shift is required, wearing opponents down through checking, grinding, and rebuilding last season's identity. Vulnerabilities on odd-man rushes stem from lapses in awareness, timing, and execution, and improvement must start with individual accountability. An upcoming back-to-back against the Sabres presents an immediate test to demonstrate learning from recent losses.

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