from Jonas Siegel of TSN,

Phil Kessel plunged his head in his hands like he had so many times in the past.

These astounding runs of futility have become all too familiar in Toronto.

The only question left to determine in that regard this season is whether another such stretch of failure costs the Maple Leafs a spot in the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 seasons. It's looking with more and more certainty like that will be indeed the case.

"It's similar, isn't it," said Kessel, seated in his stall with an air of exasperation. "Same stuff keeps happening. I don't know what to make of it anymore."

Still astoundingly punch-less offensively (and increasingly losing an edge in goal), the Leafs lost for the 13th time in 16 games (3-13-0) Monday night, clocked by the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. Toronto has been outscored 59-29 during the month-long unraveling, which started, oddly enough, against these same Hurricanes on Dec. 18.

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