{"id":318736,"date":"2026-04-14T23:45:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T18:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=318736"},"modified":"2026-04-14T23:45:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T18:15:41","slug":"leafs-close-out-home-schedule-with-one-other-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/14\/leafs-close-out-home-schedule-with-one-other-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Leafs close out home schedule with one other loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>TORONTO \u2013 John Tavares and his teammates opened the NHL season with loads of hope.<\/p>\n<p>Toronto\u2019s sports scene was buzzing. The Blue Jays were within the early stages of what would turn right into a memorable run to the World Series.<\/p>\n<p>The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, had made the second round of the playoffs just the second time within the league\u2019s salary cap era back within the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, star winger Mitch Marner had bolted town, however the Original Six club still found itself among the many Stanley Cup favourites with a core led by captain Auston Matthews and supported by Tavares and fellow star forward William Nylander.<\/p>\n<p>Things went off the rails quickly. Now it\u2019s almost time for the autopsy after missing the playoffs for the primary time in a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Toronto (32-35-14) closed out its home schedule Monday with an entertaining, mistake-filled 6-5 loss to the Dallas Stars (49-20-12) where the Maple Leafs had built a 3-0 lead by the primary intermission and led 5-3 midway through the third.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhen you already know it\u2019s the last home game, it\u2019s not  sign,\u201d said the 35-year-old Tavares. \u201cIn some ways, tough coming in today knowing this was the last routine you\u2019re going through, opportunity to go play in front of your fans. In some ways it\u2019s difficult, but you are attempting to go on the market and put your best foot forward.<\/p>\n<div class=\"l-article__part\" data-shortcode=\"related_videos\">\n<div class=\"l-inlineStories l-inlineStories--video\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"l-inlineStories__title\">Related Videos<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<section id=\"miniplayer-carousel\" class=\"l-videoCarousel l-videoCarousel--embed c-carousel\" data-video-carousel-play-inline=\"true\" data-video-carousel-init=\"false\" aria-label=\"Video carousel contains 10 videos.\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__inner\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__featured\">\n<div class=\"c-video c-videoPlay \" data-iframe-receiver=\"\" data-autoplay=\"\" data-displayinline-featured=\"true\" data-displayinline-type=\"video\" data-displayinline-player-id=\"miniplayer\" data-displayinline-video-id=\"11752981\" data-displayinline-ratio=\"16:9\" data-displayinline=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/embed\/playlist\/11752981,11532061,11530078,11499192,11194605,11192733,11186353,11185545,11179473,11176474\/?poster=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fmedia.globalnews.ca%2Fvideostatic%2Fnews%2Fzdzr0d6uhi-v6wr6bcfuz%2FGNMSPORTSECONOMICIMPACTSTILL.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26quality%3D70%26strip%3Dall#autoplay&#038;stickyiframe=miniplayer\" data-displayinline-playlist=\"11752981,11532061,11530078,11499192,11194605,11192733,11186353,11185545,11179473,11176474\" data-displayinline-sticky=\"true\" data-permutive-data='{\"content\":{\"name\":\"Blue Jays buzz lifts Toronto economy amid Leafs disappointment\",\"type\":\"video\",\"sections\":[\"videos\",\"toronto\",\"canada\",\"consumer\",\"economy\",\"entertainment\",\"money\",\"sports\"],\"keywords\":[\"global-news-morning\",\"short-clip\",\"toronto-blue-jays\",\"toronto-economy\",\"toronto-maple-leafs\",\"global-news-morning-toronto\"],\"iab\":{\"categories\":[\"Sports\/Team Sports\/Hockey\",\"News\",\"Sports\",\"News\/Sports News\",\"Sports\/Team Sports\"],\"tags\":[\"Arena\",\"Atlantic Division (NHL)\",\"Atlantic Ocean\",\"Auston Matthews\",\"Autopsy\",\"Boston Bruins\",\"Brad Treliving\",\"Brain\",\"Brain trust\",\"Canadians\",\"Contract\",\"Craig Berube\",\"Dallas\",\"Dallas Stars\",\"Defenceman\",\"Ice\",\"Ice hockey\",\"Joe Bowen\",\"John Tavares\",\"Mirror\",\"Mitch Marner\",\"Morgan Rielly\",\"National Hockey League\",\"NHL Entry Draft\",\"Original Six\",\"Ottawa\",\"Playoffs\",\"Pride\",\"Radio\",\"Salary cap\",\"Scotiabank\",\"Scotiabank Arena\",\"Standing ovation\",\"Stanley Cup\",\"The Canadian Press\",\"Toronto\",\"Toronto Blue Jays\",\"Toronto Maple Leafs\",\"Trade\",\"United States\",\"William Nylander\",\"Winger (ice hockey)\"]}}}'>\n<div class=\"c-video__inner \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__placeholder\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-video__image\" alt=\"Click to play video: 'Blue Jays buzz lifts Toronto economy amid Leafs disappointment'\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/zdzr0d6uhi-v6wr6bcfuz\/GNMSPORTSECONOMICIMPACTSTILL.jpg?w=1040&#038;quality=70&#038;strip=all\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, \" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 1040px) 1040px,(min-width: 720px) 720px,450px\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__overlay\"><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"c-video__duration\">4:45<\/time><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__title\">Blue Jays buzz lifts Toronto economy amid Leafs disappointment<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__glide glide \">\n<div class=\"glide__arrows c-carousel__buttons l-videoCarousel__buttons\" data-glide-el=\"controls\">\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--left c-carousel__button c-carousel__prev l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__prev c-longform-gallery__prev\" data-glide-dir=\"<\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Previous Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--right c-carousel__button c-carousel__next l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__next c-longform-gallery__next\" data-glide-dir=\">&#8220;><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Next Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"c-carousel__goto\" data-glide-dir=\"=0\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/button>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<!-- video stream item --><\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, it was among the same for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup\" data-newsletter-inline=\"\">\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"170\" height=\"225\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg\" alt=\"Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__content\">\n<h2 class=\"c-inlineSignup__title\">Get breaking National news<\/h2>\n<p>Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Head coach Craig Berube, whose future is unclear beyond Wednesday\u2019s finale in Ottawa against the Senators, lamented one other night where crucial errors cost his group.<\/p>\n<p>The playoff-bound Stars, meanwhile, became just the sixth team in NHL history \u2014 and first in almost 40 years \u2014 to beat three-goal and two-goal deficits in the identical game en path to a regulation win.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Despite the bitterly frustrating season, fans still available at Scotiabank Arena gave the players a pleasant ovation after the ultimate buzzer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe support in Toronto is fabulous,\u201d said Berube, whose club finished 18-15-8 on home ice. \u201cIt\u2019s been fabulous for so long as I can remember, and it\u2019s going to proceed to be fabulous. It\u2019s a terrific hockey market, it\u2019s a terrific sports town. The fans are awesome here.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis can be a special place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One other member of the organization with clouds of uncertainty is defenceman Morgan Rielly. The longest-serving member of the present roster with 950 games across 13 campaigns, there are questions on his future with a club that can look to a chart its path once a brand new brain trust is in place following general manager Brad Treliving\u2019s firing last month.<\/p>\n<p>The 32-year-old Rielly, who has 4 seasons left on a contract that carries a US$7.5-million salary cap hit, would need to comply with a trade out of Toronto, but he was asked following the morning skate if he\u2019d thought of Monday potentially being his last home game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s crossed my mind,\u201d Rielly told reporters. \u201cAll athletes have that sooner or later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tavares called the blueliner \u201cone of the selfless teammates\u201d he\u2019s played alongside.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-tabs\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab c-tabs__tab--active\" type=\"button\">More on Sports<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab\" type=\"button\">More videos<\/button>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe best way he handles himself day-to-day, the way in which he puts the team first, and the way much he cares about every individual,\u201d Tavares said post-game because the Maple Leafs fell to 0-5-1 over their last six. \u201cAnd also you talk concerning the level of hockey\u2019s played for an prolonged time frame. With where we\u2019re at this season, it\u2019s pretty obvious everyone\u2019s got to look themselves within the mirror.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t come near where we desired to get to, in order that\u2019s on everyone. He\u2019d be the primary guy to place his hand within the air saying, \u2018I gotta be higher. I got to search out ways to enhance my game\u2019 \u2014 especially as a frontrunner to proceed to push forward and find ways to push the group to where we want it to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>LOTTERY TALK<\/p>\n<p>The Maple Leafs will give up their first-round pick at June\u2019s NHL draft to an Atlantic Division rival, the Boston Bruins, if it falls within the top-5 after the lottery.<\/p>\n<p>Tavares was asked what it was wish to a play on an evening where lots of Toronto\u2019s fans were hoping for a loss.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere ought to be an extreme amount of pride to play on this league, to play this game, and to wear the crest that we\u2019re wearing,\u201d he said. \u201cI attempt to approach each game the identical, regardless of the circumstances, the challenges, the spot you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>FINAL BOW<\/p>\n<p>Legendary longtime play-by-play man Joe Bowen called his final Maple Leafs home game after 43 years working in radio and tv.<\/p>\n<p>The 75-year-old was honoured within the third period with a video tribute and raucous standing ovation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cExtremely special,\u201d Tavares said. \u201cCouldn\u2019t be more well-deserved. He\u2019ll be in Leafs lore for ceaselessly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t&#038;copy 2026 The Canadian Press\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TORONTO \u2013 John Tavares and his teammates opened the NHL season with loads of hope. Toronto\u2019s sports scene was buzzing. The Blue Jays were within the early stages of what would turn right into a memorable run to the World Series. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, had made the second round of the playoffs just the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":318737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[516,1311,7919,670,802],"class_list":["post-318736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-close","tag-home","tag-leafs","tag-loss","tag-schedule"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=318736"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318739,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318736\/revisions\/318739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/318737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=318736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=318736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=318736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}