Maple Leafs’ blown leads, D-zone mistakes horribly familiar

WASHINGTON — Nights like this are all too familiar.

The Toronto Maple Leafs stack their lineup late, blow a lead, get the torch in their own zone a few times, and talk about that red-flavored and fun “full 60 minutes” as they head to the backfield after the second game ends with a broken stick and hanging heads.

“Our consistency has just been, you know, not there for the whole game,” said Mathews-Kines, after a 2-0 lead for the visitors blew into a 4-2 home win for the Washington Capitals. “So, we’re going to focus on making this the only casualty of the road trip.”

Maybe they should rename it Black Friday.

The Maple Leafs can’t stay healthy (leading scorer William Nylander had a surprise scratch due to illness), can’t string together wins (they haven’t posted back-to-back W’s since Nov. 5), and can’t shut down opponents on the court.

So impressive in third periods and in one-goal affairs last season, this group is as firmly in the lead as a caretaker child can hold an injured Robin.

Four times already this season, Toronto has ridden a multi-goal advantage only to see it blow up in its face.

They are very expensive under pressure like the iPhone MacGrubber.

Heck, the Leafs were even given a big break early at Capital One Arena when a Washington strike inside the first 21 seconds was disallowed due to a quick whistle by ref Kyle Sutherland.

Morgan Reilly beat Logan Thompson on Toronto’s first shot of the game, then Austin Matthews and Kanes connected at the end of a strong penalty kill to take the second lead.

“Matty and Kanes, they’re big-time players,” praised Leafs assistant-Capitals coach Spencer Carby. “A top line in the league.”

In the road trap, Joseph Wool was tied up, and turkey legs were appearing around him.

So, even though the deserve-to-win-o-meter declared that the Capitals were the better squad, at the 53-minute mark it looked like Golley was fit to steal another for the Maple Leafs, who earned the outshot 34-18.

Eventually, though, Toronto’s all-too-common defensive-zone mistakes reared their ugly head.

The unknown chicken. Unchecked line. Unfinished cross-seam sides.

“They’re a team that really moves the puck from east to west, I mean, I’m not sure we’ve played a team that’s moved that, that really likes to find seams and switch passes,” Matthews said.

“We just caught a little bit at times, maybe, looking the puck. And they got some great skills, and they made some good plays.”

“Too many turnovers, too many chances against,” agreed Riley, guilty of Anthony Beauvillier’s tying goal. “We did a good job there, but in the end, I think we gave up too much – and that’s what happens.”

The Maple Leafs are giving more than a philanthropy these days.

No team in the conference conceded more goals.

As a result, they either lose or they end up narrowly winning, often in overtime, against weaker opponents.

The Maple Leafs have not won a game inside 60 minutes in their last nine attempts.

“As much as we can, don’t be disheartened,” Wall encouraged. “Play within our system and let our game changers take over.”

In Doorton, the deaf hockey team is preaching faith and trying hard to turn positive conversations into positive results.

“We had three breaks. And we had to finish. We didn’t finish,” coach Craig Berube said. “If we finish better tonight, we’ll win this game.”

But if the Capitals finish better, they win 6-2.

“The good news is, we’re coming back tomorrow. And we still have one, two, three more games on this trip, so there’s still plenty of time to make it a good, productive trip and get some points and climb up the standings,” Matthews said.

Hope in the face of failure, Reilly said, is essential.

“You know, I believe in my guys and my character. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. We’re going to keep pushing and keep working hard. And nobody’s going to be defeated. Nobody’s going to be negative. We’re going to keep moving forward and keep grinding,” Reilly said, before catching a charter flight to Pittsburgh for a showdown against Pango on Saturday.

“It’s nice to be back at it. You don’t want to spend too much time cooking.”

• Max Domi, who had a team-worst minus-13 rating, was healthy for the first time in his Leafs tenure. He is on the books for $3.75 million per season through 2027-28 and has a 13-team no-trade clause.

“I have to look at the lineup, which I think is the best for tonight,” Berube said, by way of explanation. “I talked to him about getting a rate, and we’ll see tomorrow if we can get him back.”

Working in Domi’s favor was another quiet night for Matias Maccelli, who didn’t put a puck on net and picked up some dangerous pucks.

“He definitely did some good things at times,” Berube said. “Other times, he didn’t get enough stuff and things like that.

• The Capitals power play — once feared league-wide — looks terrible. After an 0-for-2 performance Friday, they fell to 14.7 percent and below the struggling Maple Leafs (15 percent), who failed to get a power play going Friday.

• Nicholas Roy was Toronto’s most-used forward, logging a season-high 19:20 and winning 69 percent of his draws. nice.

And returning from his debut, Dakota Joshua was the only player of the Leafs. He tied team highs with three shots and five hits. Much better.

“Doc was busy. He was physical,” Berube said. “He was a very good player tonight.”

Anthony Stolarz (upper body) is not traveling with the Maple Leafs and has not been on the ice since Nov. 11.

If Brandon Carlo (lower body) gets through Monday’s practice in Florida well, he will be “closer” to game action, per Berube. The D-Man’s first return will be Tuesday against the Panthers.

• These new red and white Screaming Eagle third jerseys, which the Capitals have worn for 15 home dates this season, are a thing of beauty…