from Kristen Shilton of TSN,

It’s been too much of a problematic pattern for the Toronto Maple Leafs lately – they can’t hold on to a lead and they can’t bury enough of their chances.

Toronto rallied from a first-period deficit – they are 2-12-0 when trailing after one period – to take a 2-1 lead in the second period, a lead that lasted all of 94 seconds, and when they needed a strong final frame it ended up being their weakest of the night.

“That just can’t happen down the stretch,” surmised Jake Gardiner of giving away another lead after the Maple Leafs’ 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. “We have to start closing out games.”

Head coach Mike Babcock needed all of six words to sum up the previous three hours at the Air Canada Centre:

“We should have won the game.”

It was a sentiment his players shared from a sombre dressing room where they grappled with yet another blown lead and another disappointing end on a night that they felt like they were the better team.

Up until Gabriel Landeskog iced Colorado’s 10th straight victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute, the Leafs (26-18-5) were battling through yet another one-goal affair.

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Game highlights are below...