Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube tried to find positives in a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Following the loss, the Maple Leafs are 10 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and there are growing calls for a change of leadership.

“It is tough. Nobody is happy,” Berube said in the wee hours of Friday morning. “In the end, that is the way we have to play. There were a lot of good things in the game. We can clean up a few things, mistakes that were unnecessary, but in the end, if we play like that, we will win a lot of games.”

Toronto outshot Seattle 31-22 and often carried the play, but its porous rush defence, along with another poor start from Anthony Stolarz sealed its fate. Nick Robertson, who scored a goal and drew a penalty, is perhaps the lone skater that should be exempt from criticism after Thursday’s loss.

There has been a prevailing attitude from the Maple Leafs that they aren’t concerned about the standings. With 28 games remaining, it’s the past the point of looking up, as the team will almost certainly miss the playoffs for the first time in the Auston Matthews Era.

“We can’t worry about that or look at that,” Berube said. “We just have to focus on the next game. You can’t start looking at how many games are left. You are putting yourself in a bad spot. We have to go to Vancouver and get two points. That is what we should be focused on. Nothing else.

“I get it about the standings and where we are at with the games left, but it is not going to accomplish anything. The goals need to be small right now. We need to focus game-to-game here and try to take care of our business the best we can.”

Toronto will hold a practice Friday afternoon, before getting ready to take on the league-worst Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Berube is back on the hot seat, as is general manager Brad Treliving, and if the team continues their losing streak against a Canucks team that is angling for the first overall pick in this summer’s draft, it may spell the end of Berube’s tenure with the Leafs.