The Toronto Maple Leafs are feeling the absence of veteran defenseman Chris Tanev.
Toronto, who has now lost back-to-back games, has struggled defensively since he left the game against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury on February 25.
Though the Leafs managed to squeak out a handful of wins in his continued absence, the club has since dropped consecutive games to the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights. However, the dominos truly began to fall after a series of fortunate wins in New York and Pittsburgh.
Returning to Scotiabank Arena on Monday, the Leafs blew a two-goal lead in the third period against the, at the time, 15-win Sharks, falling 3-2 in overtime. On Wednesday, the sluggish play carried over, trailing 3-0 after the first period and 5-1 after 40 minutes to the Golden Knights – resulting in a 5-2 loss.
It’s safe to say that the Leafs have struggled to maintain their defensive composure as of late, moving away from the defensive structure that they’ve grown accustomed to with Tanev in the lineup.
“Just a very important player. I think that there have been times where we’ve done a good job, and obviously, there have been times where we’ve missed him. But obviously, we hope to get him back,” said teammate Morgan Rielly post-game.
“You can’t give a team like that (Vegas) five odd-man rushes in the first period and think you’re going to win the game,” added head coach Craig Berube. “That’s really what I take out of it. You’ve got to have better structure. Guys got to reload harder. You can’t give up odd-man rushes like we did in the first period. It cost us the hockey game.”
Berube: “You can’t give a team like that five odd-man rushes in the first period and, you know, think you’re going to win the game. That’s really what I take out of it. “
— David Alter (@dalter) March 6, 2025
Luckily, things seem to be trending in the right direction for the 35-year-old.
The Leafs, off until Saturday, could “possibly” have Tanev return to the lineup against the Colorado Avalanche,” said Berube on Wednesday.
Tanev’s injury, sustained after a hit along the boards from Bruins forward John Beecher, has kept him out of action since. The veteran defenseman was seen leaving the arena post-game with his right arm in a sling. While the Leafs have been managing without him, his impact on the team’s defense has become more evident in his absence.
“In the meantime, again, it’s on the players in the room to focus on what we can do to rally and improve and play better. And when he gets back, obviously, that will be great,” said Rielly.
As Tanev continues to recover, still being labeled as ‘day-to-day,’ it’s clear the team remains hopeful for his imminent return, knowing his presence will help stabilize their defensive play amid a rocky stretch of games.
Tanev ranks third in the league in blocked shots (151) and tied for 10th in plus/minus with a plus-26 rating. The 15-year veteran has two goals, 15 assists, and 17 points in 57 games this season.
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