Leafs Lose, Draft Dreams Live

0:00On March 22nd, the Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a five-to-two decision to the Ottawa Senators last night in a lopsided match-up. It marked another rough outing for the Leafs, who managed just 14 shots on goal while getting outplayed from start to finish. John Tavira scored his 25th of the season and Eastern Cowan added his ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough against Ottawa's strong push. Before the puck even dropped, goalie Anthony Stolars left warm-ups after taking a shot to the throat from William Nylander. He headed to the hospital for checks, but was released later and rejoined the team on the flight home. That thrust Joseph Wool into net for a second straight night, facing 40 shots after 36 the day before against Carolina. The offense just couldn't get going without Austin Matthews in the lineup. Toronto spent too much time, himdened their own end, especially in the second period, with only five shots. Fans and analysts are pointing to poor puck possession and a defense that's chasing plays as major red flags. This late in the year.

1:00With 11 games left, Taukes turned from playoffs to tanking for the 20-26 draft. The Leafs sit 25th in the league, five points ahead of the St. Louis Blues for 28th, boosting their lottery odds. Their first round pick is Top 5 protected to Boston, so sliding lower could land a high selection like Gavin McKenna. The team faces the Bruins on Tuesday night, a chance to play spoiler in the wildcard race while eyeing that lower standing. Performances like this one keep the draft dreams alive as the season wraps up. Team coverage, powered by AI, this is NHL News Today. I'm Corey with the story.