Firing a coach and a change in philosophy havent helped improve the Toronto Maple Leafs fortunes, but a meeting with the Ottawa

Firing a coach and a change in philosophy havent helped improve the Toronto Maple Leafs fortunes, but a meeting with the Ottawa Senators seemingly provides a good opportunity. Shoes Online Australia Discount . Coach Peter Horachek is looking for a better start Wednesday night as the Maple Leafs try to end their longest slide of the season by continuing their dominance of the Senators before entering the All-Star break. Listeners can catch all of the action live on TSN Radio 1200 Ottawa with coverage getting underway at 5pm et. Toronto (22-22-3) has lost 13 of 16 games, a stretch that cost Randy Carlyle his job earlier this month. So far, Horachek hasnt done much better with a system emphasizing defense, losing six of seven while being outscored 16-2 during a five-game slide. Its the first time the Maple Leafs have been held to two goals in five contests since January 1929. Issues were everywhere Monday, when they fell 4-1 to Carolina after giving up the first three goals - two in the first period - to prompt one fan to throw a jersey on the ice, the third such incident in Toronto this season. We know that we gotta pay attention to details, especially early in the first periods, Horachek said of being outscored 7-1 in the opening period over the last five games. A lot of times when you give up goals early in the game, we started to press and theres a lot of talk about goals and you start to cheat. Theres a certain amount of degree of urgency. ... Were not giving up offense, but were just paying more attention to the defensive side of the game. Thats proving to be an issue for Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, who are tied for the team lead with 19 goals but have not managed a point during the current skid. Kessel - the teams lone All-Star - has two points in nine games and his minus-10 rating matches van Riemsdyks over the past five. They were a combined minus-7 while failing to score on 10 shots Monday. Perhaps facing Ottawa (18-18-9) could get them going. Kessel has 10 goals and 13 assists in his last 16 meetings, while van Riemsdyk has 11 points in eight after scoring a goal in a 5-3 win at Ottawa on Nov. 9. James Reimer made 38 saves in that matchup, as the Leafs won for the 10th time in 12 tries against the Senators. Reimer has won eight of nine starts in Ottawa behind a 1.33 goals-against average, and is likely to get the nod Wednesday. He made all 18 stops Monday after replacing Jonathan Bernier, who gave up three goals on 10 shots. Reimer, though, has a 3.85 GAA in losing his last five starts. The Senators have dropped nine of 13 games (4-6-3) after losing 3-2 in overtime to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Were close, but Im pretty tired of having this conversation that were close, Craig Anderson told the teams official website after making 32 saves. Were not winning games and thats frustrating. Were here to win games. Were paid to win games. When we dont win games its frustrating and its not fun to be around. Milan Michalek has put together a strong stretch after scoring just two points in 18 games. The left wing scored Tuesday to give him three goals and two assists in five contests. He doesnt have a point in the last nine home meetings with Toronto. Erik Karlsson has 14 points in 10 games after scoring his ninth goal of the season Tuesday. Maple Leafs (47PTS) at Senators (45PTS) TOR is 1-0-0 vs OTT this season, winning in OTT TOR has gone 7-1-0 past 8 games vs OTT OTT (18-18-9): 0-1-1 past 2 games, 2GF in each game, 1/5 on PP Stone (2G, 5A) 6 game PT streak TOR (22-22-3): lost 5 straight, 2GF, 1/15 on PP Kessel 0PTS last 5GP, 0EV-PTS last 9GP, 1EV-G past 19GP Cheap Wholesale Shoes Australia . Rookie Marek Mazanec made 39 saves for his first NHL victory and the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 Saturday night. Wholesale Shoes Australia . Less than 24 hours after the Wolves lost at home to the Mavericks, 100-98, NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn announced Tuesday that Kevin Love was fouled on his right arm by Shawn Marion in the closing seconds and should have been awarded two free throws. http://www.shoescheapaustralia.com/ .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No.TORONTO - As the Toronto Maple Leafs returned from a winless Western Conference road trip, they found the friendly confines of Air Canada Centre to be not so welcoming.A few fans threw jerseys onto the ice, a couple wore bags over their heads and many more voiced their displeasure by booing. In the game itself, it was much more of the same as the Leafs were thoroughly outclassed by the lowly Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-1 loss Monday night.It was Torontos fifth loss in a row with just two goals to show for 300 minutes of hockey.Its a similar answer that weve been saying for now the past five games: We havent found a way to put pucks in the net, captain Dion Phaneuf said. The bottom line is that we had our chances and were having a tough time putting the puck in the net. Thats very evident.The only thing that kept the Leafs (22-22-3) from being shut out for the fourth time in five games was a power-play goal by Nazem Kadri in the third period. That ended a goal drought of 162 minutes 14 seconds.Before that point, they fell behind by three thanks to goals by Brad Malone, Elias Lindholm and Eric Staal. Interim coach Peter Horachek tried to convince his players to get back at it after falling behind, but it was hard to shake the feeling.I get the sense like theres a big letdown, Horachek said.Carolina (16-25-5) capitalized, chasing goaltender Jonathan Bernier with three goals on 13 shots. Anton Khudobin stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced as the Hurricanes improved to 6-2-1 since the calendar flipped to 2015.We werent perfect, though we played hard and we competed, first-year coach Bill Peters said. Back-to-back wins on the road for the first time for us this year, so things are going in the right direction.Things appear to be going in the wrong direction for the Leafs, who are 1-6-0 under Horachek and have lost 13 of 16 dating to the inconsistencies that cost Randy Carlyle his job. Horachek has tried to instill a tough, defensive mentality, but his team has been outscored 24-9 since he took over.And though the Leafs overall defensive play may have improved, the results arent there.When you give up that many chances and you win hockey games (earlier in the season), sometimes that comes back to haunt you, said Phaneuf, who fought Eric Staal in the second period. And right now were just having a tough time on the other side of the puck because weve cut down our chances against but we hhavent been able to put the puck in the net. Wholesale Shoes Australia Online. Unable to find a happy medium between defensive responsibility and offensive power, the Leafs again fell into the trap of trying to sacrifice one for the other. Horachek said his team cheated too often after falling behind.By the time the Leafs were down 3-0 in the second period, one fan threw a jersey onto the ice. We dont appreciate that, obviously, winger Phil Kessel said. Were trying. I dont know if people see that. We are trying. I dont know. We cant find it right now.When the Leafs were trying and even had possession of the puck, another jersey came flying.I dont know how that happens or what security or the ushers are doing, Kadri said. It seems like were giving the guy an extra couple minutes to flip everybody off and to mock our real fans. I dont know how that guys not taken by his shirt and dragged out of there, but what do I know.Frustration was evident throughout the game, even from the Hurricanes. Eric Staal, who got into only his second career NHL fight with Phaneuf after the Leafs captain hit brother Jordan, wound up and fired a slap shot from close range into an empty net to seal it.Staal seemed intent to either let the puck drill Phaneuf or the net.I was ready, Staal said. One of those plays where you just react and youre into the emotion of the game, youre into the energy and I knew I wanted to get it in so I made sure I got a hold of it.Staal scored more goals Monday night than Leafs forwards have in the past five games. This latest loss was just more strife in a season that has gone bad quickly.We didnt play our best tonight, Kessel said. We had good spurts in there, we had some chances and its not good enough.Notes — Kadris goal snapped Carolinas streak of consecutive penalties killed at 36, which dated to Dec. 21 against the Rangers. Peters said it was an opportunity to start a new streak. ... Leafs backup James Reimer stopped all 18 shots he faced in relief and could start Wednesday at Ottawa in the final game before the all-star break. ... Forwards Leo Komarov (shoulder) and Troy Bodie (healthy) and defenceman Stephane Robidas (upper-body injury) were scratches for the Leafs. Matt Frattin made his eighth appearance of the season in Bodies place. ... Winger Alexander Semin and former Leafs defenceman John-Michael Liles were healthy scratches for Carolina.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '