‘Panic’s never going to help’: Maple Leafs drop fourth straight game

TORONTO — Craig Berube saw some positive signs.

The Maple Leafs came out strong Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Toronto’s head coach watched his team check and defend well on the way to building a deserved first-period lead.

The rest of the game was a different story — and it’s clear Berube still has plenty more work to do in sorting out a group that has fallen far below expectations with 18 games already chalked off the NHL season.

Quinton Byfield scored in overtime as the Kings erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 in a 4-3 comeback victory that stretched the Leafs’ losing streak to four games.

“Panic’s never going to help, but there’s a level of urgency,” Berube said after his team dropped to 8-8-2. “It’s been there for a bit. But (I’m) not going to panic. That doesn’t help anything or anybody.”

That might be the case outside the locker room’s four walls, but the temperature continues to rise in a hockey-mad market for a team that opened training camp with Stanley Cup aspirations.

“I don’t think you go out and expect anything,” said Leafs centre John Tavares, who scored twice to give him 11 goals on the campaign. “You gotta go out there and earn it. The type of team we have — a veteran team — we know we haven’t been to the level that we expect.

“It’s been a battle for us. We’ve gotta continue to stay with it.”

Toronto, which watched captain Auston Matthews (lower-body) and No. 1 goaltender Anthony Stolarz (upper-body) join shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev and depth centre Scott Laughton on the sidelines, had a tough time finding its way after Thursday’s first period.

The Kings repeatedly hemmed the disconnected Leafs in their own zone as the home side registered just eight shots through 40 minutes. Toronto ended up with 15 total attempts on goal compared to 37 from L.A.

“We give up that many shots because when we get pucks, we’re not advancing up the ice and getting to the offensive zone,” Berube said. “That’s the difference in the game.”

Pressed into some hard service over the last week with Stolarz now out and Joseph Woll continuing his minor-league conditioning stint after being away from the team for “personal family reasons” since camp, third-string netminder Dennis Hildeby was under siege for long stretches Thursday.

“Trending in the right direction,” said the big Swede. “We deserved more today, and it’s definitely coming. Just gotta keep battling.”

Bobby McMann, who opened the scoring, said Toronto needs to stick to its script for that elusive 60-minute effort.

“Trust that our abilities are going to carry us through,” said the winger. “Trust that if we continue to play with pace, play up the ice, move pucks quick, we’re going to be playing in their end more. When we’re doing that, we’re a skilled team.”

Leafs blueliner Simon Benoit said the belief remains high.

“We’re all in this together,” he said. “Nobody other than us can help us, right? The mental (side) is good. Everybody wants to win, everybody wants to work.”

Tavares, like his coach, wasn’t raising alarm bells late Thursday night in the bowels of Scotiabank Arena. But the clock on the 2025-26 season — and on the Leafs finally finding some semblance of cohesion — continues to tick.

“There’s lots of hockey left,” said the veteran forward. “That doesn’t mean you take any game for granted. They all mean the same. More games that go by, there’s less runway.

“Stay together, stay composed.”

OLYMPIC DREAM

Kings defenceman Drew Doughty, who set up Byfield’s winner and added another assist to give him eight points on the season, won gold with Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Games before battling back from injury to take part February’s victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The 35-year-old is eager to get another shot at Olympic glory when the NHL returns to the showcase event in Italy this winter.

“On my mind a lot,” he said following the morning skate. “I want to be on that team. Offensively, I’m not getting the numbers that I want. But I’m not going to make that team based on my offence. As long as I keep playing well defensively, which I have been, I think I’ve got a good shot.”

Doughty is one of a handful of NHLers remaining in the game from when hockey’s best men’s players last touched Olympic ice.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s taken this long,” he said. “It’s some of the best hockey, the whole country gets behind (it) when Team Canada’s playing.

“I hope real bad that I’m gonna be there.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press