Leafs share frustrations over disappointing season - BERITAJA

OTTAWA – The only metallic lining successful the Toronto Maple Leafs’ last crippled of the play is that it yet ended a agelong twelvemonth of disappointment.

The Leafs vanished their play pinch a 3-1 nonaccomplishment to the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night.

Toronto (32-36-14) saw its nine-year playoff streak travel to an end, marking the Leafs first absence from the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2016. The squad vanished the run pinch 7 consecutive losses.

Players struggled to find the words why things unravelled aft the Olympic break.

“Just disappointment and failure,” said Troy Stecher. “You play this crippled obviously, to effort and triumph the Stanley Cup and you can’t do that unless you make the playoffs. So, arsenic a group, we struggled aft the Olympic break, and these are the results you get. We’ve sewage a agelong summertime ahead.”

Stecher admitted location were a multitude of things that didn’t spell correct for the Leafs, and he expects the statement will measure each aspect.

“We’re decidedly alert arsenic players what went incorrect wrong the room and successful saying that I deliberation we’ll about apt conscionable support that backstage for the organization.”

There’s nary denying the team’s illness felt agelong and arduous.

“You cognize it’s a reliable finish, but I conjecture benignant of relieved a small bit,” said Nick Robertson. “I mean, we were successful the heavy of it aft the break. You know, it’s conscionable frustrating lucky and we’ve conscionable sewage to regroup present and benignant of hide about it. I mean, return distant what we can, but conscionable benignant of put this down us.”

Robertson will beryllium a restricted free supplier this summertime and is unsure what his early holds.

The 24-year-old, drafted by Toronto successful 2019, admits the play took a toll and couldn’t place precisely why things turned retired arsenic they did.

“There’s a batch of reasons,” he said. “You know, deficiency of execution, bargain in, emotion … It’s hard, it’s unfortunate really it ended.”

Robertson said the 1 point that stands retired aft this benignant of play is learning to admit really difficult it is to triumph successful the NHL.

“I deliberation past year, you know, felt for illustration we were winning each the clip and (we learned) to ne'er return your ft disconnected the gas,” he said. “We’ve sewage a bully squad here. We’ve sewage a playoff team. But, if you don’t, you know, push the state and bargain successful and play hard, we’re not gonna make the playoffs.”

It’s besides a disappointing extremity to Easton Cowan’s rookie season.

With 11 goals and 28 points done 66 games, Cowan is simply a agleam spot who showed maturation arsenic the play progressed.

“You know, I’m an NHL player, and you know, I consciousness comfortable, but I’ve still sewage a batch much to give,” he said. “And I cognize I’ll person a bully summertime present and, you know, get bigger and faster.”

Leafs caput coach Craig Berube said he liked Cowan’s improvement complete the people of the season.

“Good early up of him,” said Berube. “He’s sewage a awesome IQ. He’s sewage crystal h2o successful his veins. He’s a worker. There’s a batch of upside there.”

Cowan is hopeful to widen his lucky play by playing pinch the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, but said he hasn’t heard if that’s what the statement has planned for him.

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 16, 2026.