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TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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TSN Maple Leafs reporter Kristen Shilton checks in with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs held a practice at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Thursday.

- Head coach Mike Babcock wasn’t happy with his team’s effort overall against Washington on Tuesday night, and he reiterated that Thursday. “I didn’t like our game last game. To me, we weren’t even close,” he said. “Defensively, and effort [wise], just overall. We have to be better, have to have everybody on, have to have our veteran guys leading and they have to really compete and set the tone for our group.” Playing harder on the puck in the offensive zone and not turning it over and killing momentum is one area Babcock would like to see improve. “The one line [Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown] is like that regularly,” Babcock assessed. “The other guys have to spend more time on it. Obviously [Tyler] Bozak and [Mitch] Marner and [James] van Riemsdyk, the better they play on the cycle, the more they score. Same for Kadri’s group. It’s just a matter of continuing to [play hard on the puck], believing that and believing that’s important.”

- Antoine Bibeau was the first goalie off for Toronto on Thursday, with Frederik Andersen staying on for an extended session. That could indicate the rookie will get his third start of the season in New Jersey on Friday, while Andersen is rested to face the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday in Toronto.

- With no game of their own on Thursday to think about, the Maple Leafs turned their attention to the world junior final between Canada and the USA in Montreal. Nazem Kadri is among the Toronto players who have experienced the highs and lows of the tournament first-hand. “That’s definitely one of the highlights of my career,” he said. “In Saskatoon in 2010, unfortunately we came out on the wrong end that against the Americans in the gold-medal game. I just remember the fans and atmosphere.” The dressing room was playfully divided over the matchup, with players making bets on the outcome. Matthews said he has a wager with Marner and Babcock on the game, joking of Babcock, “it’s lose-lose for me either way, because he’ll just make an excuse [if Canada loses] like if he was coaching there’s no way they would lose.” Asked about winning the tournament 20 years ago, Babcock looked over to Matthews standing nearby and said loudly, “Twenty years ago…who did we beat? The U.S.” As for whether Marner, who has known Team USA’s Jeremy Bracco for years, would be hearing from his pal if the Americans win, Marner joked, “You won’t stop hearing from him I bet. Next time I see him he’ll be talking my ear off about how they beat Canada, so that needs to not happen tonight.”

- While Team Canada is hoping to turn in a better performance against the Americans on Thursday night than they did on New Year’s Eve, the Leafs are also trying to exorcise their own demons. Toronto has had a lead after two periods in 20 of 37 games this season, but only 13 of those have ended in two points for the Leafs. The blown-leads narrative has plagued the team all season long.  Over their last six games, Toronto has at least a point in each, but has surrendered leads in four. “I wouldn’t say we’re frustrated,” defenceman Jake Gardiner said. “We’re not happy with where we are, but we’re comfortable, we know we have better and it’s a good spot to be in.” Toronto is currently two points behind Boston and Ottawa in the Atlantic Division playoff race, with games in hand.

- With the players’ fathers in the stands on the second leg of the annual Dads’ trip, practice had a lighter feel as the Maple Leafs worked out the kinks following Tuesday’s 6-5 overtime loss in Washington. After the 45-minute session concluded, the Dads joined their sons on the ice for a group photo.