TORONTO (Nov. 10) — Hello again. Pardon the lengthy span between blogs, but I’m a new father. Nothing biological; too late for that. Instead, a little puppy came into my life on Halloween… and I named her “Pumpkin.” Original, huh? I figure that once senility kicks in, it might help me remember when I took her from the breeder. She’s a 10–week–old Maltipoo — a cross between a Maltese and a toy poodle. Which is essential for my smallish condo. I considered a French Bulldog, given how precocious and human–like they are. But, any such creature in my living quarters would become the proverbial bull in a china shop. Instead, Pumpkin weighed in last week at a robust 3.4 pounds and isn’t expected to exceed 10 pounds. Perfect for the condo. Here’s my little fluff ball:

With that, let’s dive back in to my usual topic, here, the Toronto Maple Leafs. We’ve all seen the club — under Sheldon Keefe and Craig Berube — wobble from the gate in October. But, the Leafs usually wake up by Halloween and have often sailed through November (38–9–6 in the four seasons prior to this). As we near mid–November of 2025, the team is deathly stale, coming off a weekend sweep at home by the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes. At 8–7–1 after 16 games, the Leafs are roughly on pace to finish 40–36–6 for 86 points, which will exclude them from the Stanley Cup playoffs and represent a 22–point decline from a year ago; 29 points from the franchise–record 115 in 2021–22. What we’re witnessing isn’t mearly a slow start to the schedule.

Something existential has gripped the Blue and White, given a near–complete lack of competitive instinct; most–apparent while blowing a 4–3 lead and being outshot 22–2 in the third period by the Hurricanes. A night after losing to the Bruins at Scotiabank Arena. During the annual Hall of Fame weekend. No longer a listless start or a minor, correctible flaw. It has clearly — though not at all surprisingly — resulted from the on–ice leadership void of the Auston Matthews–William Nylander era. We’re still getting the fancy, regular–season goals of the past decade that disappear after mid–April. That’s the easy part. But, there is virtually no commitment to defensive structure, which arises only through physical exertion. Matthews, pulling in $155,882 per game, should be accomplishing much more for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Instead, he is lollygagging behind center ice; interested only in his scoring total. And, teammates are following his “lead” — quite a conundrum for the incredulous Berube.

If the pace–setter of his club — essentially the role of a captain — is unmoved to earn his lofty stipend, what options exist for the head coach? There’s no chance Berube will scratch Matthews, especially for a home game. Same for Willy Styles. And, there’s been no indication of such discipline on the road. Again, Matthews pulls in more per night than most of us will in a year. Whether or not he chooses to show, $509,615 (excluding taxes) is deposited into his bank account every two weeks during the season. Shouldn’t that be sufficient for a player whose reputation when games truly matter is close to dirt? If you were Auston, wouldn’t you somehow wish to alter the narrative? Leafs fans have been asking that question for a decade. This corner stopped asking after the 2021 playoff meltdown against Montreal. As such, and as mentioned, nothing about a blasé Matthews is remotely unexpected. But, I neither pay Auston nor cheer for him. Unlike the Leafs and their resilient, yet tortured, fans?

LEAFS CAPTAIN AUSTON MATTHEWS SHOULD BE YELLING AT HIMSELF IN THE MIRROR; NOT RAILING AGAINST NHL REFEREES. SAMMY KOGAN THE CANADIAN PRESS

When you watch the Maple Leafs right now, it’s as if Matthews and his cohorts of perennial playoff oblivion understand the writing on the wall. That nothing will change when it needs to — in the spring. Yeah, the Leafs were “close” to eliminating Florida last May; the Blue Jays were one inch at the plate and a dropped fly ball at the track from winning the World Series. But, close doesn’t matter in professional sport. The Blue Jays lost to the Dodgers in the most–cruel circumstance imaginable. The Leafs mailed in Game 7 against Florida, as they had Game 5. Same score, 6–1. Both on home ice. And, now, the 100 regular–season points from Mitch Marner has disappeared. A truly committed captain would somehow rally the troops. Not with this group. Not now; not ever. In such a situation, no other element of the club can let down. Especially goaltending, which has not resembled last year’s impressive display. Anthony Stolarz may have been the best stopper in the National Hockey League a season ago. After nearly one–fifth of the current schedule, he is beginning to resemble such infamous and brief wonders as Jim Carey (Washington), Andrew Raycroft (Boston), Roman Turek (St. Louis) and José Theodore (Montreal).

Neither, of course, has Stolarz received any help.

And, what’s the sudden bullsh** about “immaturity?” The Maple Leafs are one of the oldest and most–experienced teams in the NHL. There have been many excuses through the years, but this one takes the cake.

With average netminding and an indifferent captain, Toronto has no chance to make the playoffs.

Let alone challenge for the Stanley Cup.

But, is anyone even remotely surprised? I doubt it.

EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM