‘Chipping away’: Bobrovsky, Maple Leafs looking to find way out of early rut

TORONTO — Sergei Bobrovsky arrived in Toronto with a long and decorated resume.

A pair of Stanley Cup rings along with two Vezina Trophy nods as the NHL’s top goaltender sat right at the top.

Early on in his Maple Leafs’ tenure, however, the 38-year-old and his teammates are still looking for traction.

Bobrovsky’s record fell to 1-3-2 following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the grinding New York Islanders.

The Russian puck-stopper wasn’t to blame on any of the three goals he allowed before the visitors added an empty-netter, but his save percentage now stands at .891 along with a 3.29 goals-against average.

“I feel good,” Bobrovsky, who signed a three-year, US$21-million contract in free agency, said of his start to the 2026-27 schedule. “There is a lot of chances, lots of work. I try to give the best chance for the team to win the game. It (doesn’t) always go your way, but chipping away.

“I stay patient and just ready for the next shot.”

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said the rest of the group hasn’t offered much support during a stretch that’s seen Toronto (3-4-2) drop four of its last five (1-2-2).

“We’ve really left him out to dry here in these last couple starts,” said the star centre. “We’ve got to be better. He’s doing his job. He’s making some big saves.”

Bobrovsky, who hoisted the Cup in both 2024 and 2025 with the Florida Panthers, said coming north has been an adjustment as part of a major summer roster renovation.

“Style is different,” he said after making 16 stops against the Islanders. “New guys, it’s a new team. We’re all working to get together to build the chemistry, to build the belief. We have a great group of guys — great skill guys, professional guys.

“We just have to find our game and have to come together and play on the same page.”

The Maple Leafs have also already been bitten by the injury bug.

Shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev, who was on the ice following Saturday’s morning skate, remains out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, while veteran centre John Tavares has the same return-to-play designation after suffering a lower-body injury in Thursday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

“It’s tough, but this is the NHL,” said Toronto centre Colton Sissons, who scored his team’s only goal Saturday. “You lose players constantly — important players — and other guys gotta step up. Maybe not one guy needs to do the job. It needs to be a bunch of us collectively.”

He added that, despite the results, watching Bobrovsky go through his process has been impressive.

“Consummate professional,” Sissons said. “Not many guys in this league are as dialed in as he is with his routine and the way he takes care of himself. That’s why he’s been elite for so long.”

Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has now allowed three goals or more in each of his six starts.

He also doesn’t seem concerned.

“I stay patient and I prepare myself for the next shot,” Bobrovsky said. “You could think, ‘What if this, what if that?’ But it is what it is. I’m confident. I feel good about my game.

“I’m excited for the next opportunity.”

GETTING ON TRACK

The Maple Leafs host the San Jose Sharks on Monday and the New York Rangers on Thursday before heading back out on the road.

“It’s extremely high,” Sissons said when asked about the sense of urgency. “You can’t take too much time here to sort things out — not in this league, not in our division. We’re fully are aware of that. Down some guys right now, we gotta all pick it up collectively.

“We’ve got full belief.”

OFF THE BENCH

No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna had four shots and created chances with the puck across 17 minutes 56 seconds of ice time after getting benched Thursday.

“I don’t think anything really shakes him,” Matthews said. “He’s got confidence in his game. He knows what he can do out there.”

McKenna was not made available to reporters post-game.

INSIDE’S OUT

Toronto head coach Jim Hiller was at a loss to explain his team’s inability to get to the middle of the ice Saturday.

“It’s a good question,” he said. “We came out (for) the third period, we scored right away doing just exactly that, right? There was nothing fancy about the goal. I would give them credit. They played their game to a T. Their defenceman, I thought, did a really good job in the corners, squishing us and being tight and not allowing us to come out of the corner with the puck.

“There’s some of that, but just not good enough from us.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2026.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press