TORONTO — This malaise of the Toronto Maple Leafs feels different than any lull Craig Berube endured in his first season as head coach.

The NHL is a hard league, and its schedule can be relentless. Injuries hurt, and new acquisitions need time to find their footing.

There’s no shame in losing to a decent team, like Toronto did to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

But it’s the quest for a full 60-minute effort and the frequency of self-inflicted errors that leave Berube puzzled over the pieces.

“Some of our new guys coming in, finding some chemistry, where they fit, and trying to prove themselves almost a little bit, you know?” Berube said Wednesday, after a tema meeting and a highly optional practice in which the leadership group remained off the ice.

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