Skip to content

Maple Leafs' Kessel: 'This is my all-time low in hockey right now'

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't been in a good place for quite some time, and the pain and suffering continued Monday after a 4-1 loss to the lowly Edmonton Oilers.

The Maple Leafs seem to deal with off-ice drama weekly, as was the case last week with the disciplinary actions taken against Nazem Kadri.

On the ice, Toronto barely got by the NHL's worst team, defeating the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout and following up that performance with three consecutive losses on the West Coast to the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Oilers, respectively.

After Monday's loss, which featured netminder Jonathan Bernier getting yanked after allowing three goals on four shots, Toronto's road record fell to 8-24-5, which left Phil Kessel shaking his head yet again.

“It was a brutal start,” Kessel told Mark Spector of Sportsnet. “You’re not going to win any games in this league going down 4-0. We’re still working, still trying. It’s a tough time for us. I don’t know how to explain it anymore.”

The loss was Toronto's eighth in their last 10 games, making the trip out West (0-3 record, outscored 14-5) a complete failure. 

“I don’t know what to tell you guys anymore,” said Kessel. “We have good players in here, right? We’re not getting it done."

The streaky Kessel has also struggled during the messy stretch. The forward has just one goal and four points in the month of March. 

“This is my all-time low in hockey right now. It’s a tough go.”

The Maple Leafs are off until Thursday, when they host the San Jose Sharks at home. They play five of their next six games at the Air Canada Centre. 

Perhaps a trip back home will help soften the wounds.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox