Partly because they don’t want to ruffle feathers, perhaps, the Maple Leafs weren’t criticizing the play of goaltender Frederik Andersen as the club headed into the break.
“It’s not on Freddy,” captain John Tavares said. “It’s pretty clear, the opportunities that we’re giving up.
“We have to do a better job in front of him. I feel bad for him because we just don’t do a good-enough job consistently with the opportunities that we’re giving up and the way we’re careless at times.”
The Leafs often have referred to Andersen as the team’s backbone. He has not been that for the past month, however, sporting an .888 save percentage in his past 14 games, dropping his overall mark to .909.
“I don’t think this is on him,” Auston Matthews said, referring more to the loss against Chicago on Saturday.
Still, the Leafs know Andersen has to rediscover his all-star form.
“I don’t think he’s happy with how things have gone here of late,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I think that he recognizes that he can be better and that he’s part of our group.
“We have to be better as a team, make less mistakes, help our goaltender, help out our defence, but everybody else has to do their part.”
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