from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

An optimist would find comfort in the fact that the referees typically start hiding their whistles by the time the playoffs arrive.

Because at this stage, the only thing that could have the Toronto Maple Leafs feeling good about their power play is the prospect of having fewer of them.

On Thursday, the punchless PP was the main culprit for a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets — bringing a nagging itch to the surface. They’ve been able to string together a lot of wins while going 1-for-42 with the man advantage since March 9 because of excellent results at even strength.

But there are going to be times where you can’t outskate that level of futility. In tight games against quality opponents, special teams are often the difference.

“I think it’s quite obvious the impact that the power play could have had on the game today and [we] failed to get it done,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe.

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Game highlights are below.