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TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs, who held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday ahead of facing the Winnipeg Jets Thursday at Scotiabank Arena in the second game of their three-game series.

A day after losing their third straight game, the Leafs held one of their shortest practices of the season. 

"We got right to it," said coach Sheldon Keefe of the 20-minute session. "When we have a day like this, you really take out fluff — the warm-up, all of those kinds of things — and get right to what you really need to get done."

Usually, the team will skate for between 30 and 45 minutes on practice days held a day after a game, but fatigue is a factor right now. Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets was Toronto's 17th game in 34 days. And the team just wrapped up a five-game swing through Western Canada over the weekend.

Still, Keefe felt it was important to get on the ice on Wednesday. 

"It's always tough to come in a day after a game, win or lose, because there is a quicker turnaround," Keefe acknowledged. "That is a bit of a grind for players and even more so when you are losing. That is why I felt it was important that we skated today. I thought we skated hard for 20 minutes and got done what we needed to get done. The guys are leaving the ice and the building here today feeling good and refocused and ready to go."

For the first time since Keefe took over behind the bench on Nov. 20, 2019, the Leafs have lost three straight games in regulation. Toronto's grip atop the North Division has loosened with the Jets, who have played two fewer games, now within five points. The teams face off again on Thursday and Saturday. 

"I don't think there is any sense of panic here or anything like that," Keefe said. "Yet, at the same time, we have had very open discussions about things that we have done here that have contributed to us losing versus the things that we did in Edmonton, as an example, that contributed to us winning. The recipe is right there for us. We just have to go out and execute."

After Tuesday's defeat, Keefe lamented the fact his team had slipped away from "winning habits" established through a dominant start to the year. Players were abandoning the structure and not managing the puck properly. An errant outlet pass by Morgan Rielly in the third period on Tuesday, for example, led to a turnover and eventually the winning goal by Mason Appleton.   

"The train of thought is this is a blip on the radar and we want to take care of it," Rielly said. "It's hard over a quick time span like this to really judge the growth of the group, but the one thing I've noticed just about every day is that if we're playing well we don't get too high and if we lose a game we don't get too low. That's part of maturing together. That's a good sign for us."

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Top-line winger Mitch Marner identified a couple key priorities moving forward. 

"Making sure we’re getting out of our zone cleanly," Marner said. "Obviously our PK. We got to clean that up."

Toronto's penalty kill allowed a goal on all three chances the Vancouver Canucks had in two games last week. The Jets converted on one of two chances on Tuesday. 

"We have to get through kills and get them finished," Keefe said. "We have had a number of them this season where in the last 20 seconds or so, after we had done a lot of good things, it ends up in our net. The first one we gave up from the bad angle in Vancouver — that was an unbelievable kill for us. In fact, we had opportunities to extend our lead and all of a sudden it is in our net. We have to just stay with it. I think that is the biggest thing: stay with it to the very end, compete to the very end."

This latest rough patch has seen Toronto's penalty kill drop to 20th in the NHL at 76.6 per cent. 

"Before we went to Vancouver, we had the No. 1 penalty kill in the division," Keefe pointed out. "We were feeling pretty good about the things that we were doing. It just goes to show it can get away from you quickly ... We will continue to clean up the details, but we can’t ignore the fact that there had been a number of positives that had been happening prior to the last three games."

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Auston Matthews is playing through a wrist injury, but the 23-year-old centre suggested the pain isn't a big factor.

"Once you get out there it dwindles away," Matthews said after scoring twice Tuesday night. "I felt fine."

Matthews was absent from Wednesday's practice. 

"He wanted to skate today," Keefe revealed. "We thought it was a good opportunity for him to take a rest day."

Both of the Matthews goals against the Jets came from in close. He deflected home a Rielly shot on the power play and chipped in a puck from the doorstep with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker. 

The top line still hasn't generated an even-strength goal since Matthews returned to the lineup four games ago. Marner has fired 10 shots on net in the last two games, his highest two-game total of the season, but insists he hasn't had to adjust his game.

"I don't think it has much of an impact," said Marner, who is now goal-less in five straight, his longest drought of the year. "I don't think anything's really changed with our line. We're still trying to play the same way as we have all year." 

Toronto's top trio drove play on Tuesday with shots favouring the Leafs 10-2 when Matthews, Marner and Joe Thornton were on the ice together at even strength, per NaturalStatTrick. They were matched against the Mark Scheifele line most of the night. 

Matthews finished with a game-high six shots and won 13 of 18 faceoffs. 

"It's not even just the production," said captain John Tavares. "His overall game is tremendous in all three zones and such an influence for us. The way he controls the play. The way he competes for the puck. His strength defensively. He continues to battle well in faceoffs. His overall game is really strong."

Keefe noted the medical staff has determined Matthews won't make the injury worse by playing. 

"It is not the type of thing where taking a game or two off is going to allow it to fix itself," the coach said. "I think a lot of players throughout the league are going through it, but you don't hear about it as much as you would in Toronto with such a great player."

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One theme during the losing streak has been the play of the opposition goalie. Thatcher Demko was excellent in Vancouver while Connor Hellebuyck stopped 36 of 39 shots on Tuesday. 

"They got a Vezina winner in the net so we got to get guys in front and get more tips on net and get those second opportunities," Marner said.

Frederik Andersen allowed four goals on 23 shots on Tuesday while suffering his first career regulation loss against the Jets. 

Andersen is now 1-2-0 with an .889 save percentage since returning from a lower-body injury. 

"I feel good," he said. "I think I'm moving pretty well. Pretty much most of my game I like. Of course, the results lately haven't been there."

Andersen was asked if he's motivated to measure himself against Hellebuyck. 

"Yes and no," the Dane said. "You want to go out and beat the guy at the other end, but as a goalie you know what happens at the other end doesn't really effect what's going on in my end. So, my focus is to try to be ready and make the saves I can. Of course, you want to beat the guy at the other end and win." 

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The Leafs are looking for more performances like the one Andersen provided last week in Edmonton when he stopped 26 of 27 shots. After that game, Matthews described Andersen as "Fredzilla."

Who came up with that? 

"A lot of nicknames are coming from Jumbo," the 6-foot-4, 238-pound goalie said referencing Thornton. "He's a nickname machine. He has a lot. He even has nicknames you guys don't even hear before they come and go. He cycles through them pretty quick. He loves throwing out a good nickname."

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Justin Bieber posted "a love letter to the Maple Leafs" on social media Wednesday. The tweet from the singer features his new song 'Hold On' set to Leafs highlights. 

"Biebs is a very special person and an incredibly talented artist," said Rielly. "When he's eager to work with the team and spend time around the guys that's a pretty cool opportunity. We're very fortunate to play for this organization and I guess that's one of the things that comes with it."

Bieber has struck up a friendship with Matthews in recent years. 

"I know his relationship with him is pretty tight," said Andersen. "It's fun to have a musical talent like his be a big fan of us and, likewise the other way, a lot of us appreciate his music. I'm looking forward to hearing it."

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Lines at Wednesday's practice: 
 
Thornton - Boyd - Marner
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Engvall - Hyman
Vesey - Agostino - Spezza  
 
Rielly - Brodie 
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Bogosian 
Liljegren - Lehtonen
 
Andersen
Hutchinson
Campbell