Slumping Maple Leafs Lack That 'Killer Punch' - James Mirtle at the Globe and Mail

If it looks like a slump and acts like a slump, it’s probably fair to say it is one.

Even if the Toronto Maple Leafs have found a way to win some games during their first prolonged funk of the season.

Outplayed by the Ottawa Senators in a 5-2 loss on Saturday at home, the Leafs fell to 3-4-0 in their past seven games – a stretch during which they’ve been outscored 26-16 despite putting nine past two struggling goaltenders in New Jersey and Columbus to start the month.

While Toronto is still ahead of the seven-points-every-six-games pace needed to make the playoffs thanks to a 7-2-1 start, game-by-game they’re frittering away key points and falling closer to bubble team territory.

In light of that, maybe would say that's the Leafs are still 10-6-1, tops in the Northeast division, without 3 of their best players and therefore it's not time to panic. I would counter that by saying a captain at sea is going to turn his ship when he see's an iceberg headed his way. He can see disaster coming towards him and does all he can to avoid it. If Brian Burke has any naval sense, he'll realize the Leafs are headed for Titanic 2.0 status and that his hands are on the wheel.

More links after the jump.

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