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TORONTO – The bubble has just about burst and whatever remained of the Maple Leafs sinking playoff hopes is probably just on life support. Greg Olsen Panthers Jersey . A game they had to have Saturday fell apart like so many others during a losing skid that now numbers eight games. And a season, promising as recently as two weeks ago, has unraveled into a collapse that mirrors, if not eclipses, the infamous 18-wheeler of 2012. "I cant describe it right now," said a befuddled Joffrey Lupul following a 4-2 loss to Detroit, the Red Wings jumping two points ahead of the Leafs with two games still in hand. "This is probably the first time, after this game, that things are probably looking a little bleak for us." The scene was cheery in the visitors dressing room at Staples Center in Los Angeles after a resilient win over the Kings on March 13. The Leafs had stomped through the deathly California triangle with a pair of victories and had their sights set on claiming second spot in the Atlantic Division, a berth in the postseason all but assumed following their 15th win in a remarkable stretch of 22 games. They havent gotten a point since, losing eight straight in regulation for the first time in more than 25 years. It was more of the same in defeat against the Red Wings, still playing without their two best players in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. There was the stunning and all too familiar inconsistency. At once energetic, sharp and urgent in the opening period, the Leafs sputtered with errors in the second, spewing three goals in less than eight minutes. Troubling defensive breakdowns continued in that middle period meltdown. Detroit approached double-figures in odd-man opportunities for the evening, scoring three of their four goals in such situations, including two in that disastrous eight-minute stretch. "Its a very tough time," Dion Phaneuf said after the defeat, the third to the Red Wings this season. "This loss is the most disappointing out of the eight. Theres no hiding that." Perplexed Leafs like Phaneuf were struggling to comprehend how it could unravel so quickly, how a season filled with so much promise could deteriorate in a manner of a couple weeks. "Sometimes, its just been poor execution," Lupul said. "Sometimes, its been defensive lapses. Other times, the other teams played really well, but its our job to win hockey games and we havent been able to do it." Technically still alive, the Leafs would need to find an unbelievable and unlikely winning streak to revive their playoff hopes along with plenty of help from the likes of Columbus, Detroit, and even Washington. Up three points on Montreal after that win in L.A., Toronto now trails the Habs by 13, an incredible and hurried reversal rarely seen. "We went from a position where we were in control of our own destiny now to sitting at home cheering against other teams," Lupul said. "That part of its very frustrating." And now, or perhaps very soon, come the difficult questions for general manager Dave Nonis and his management team. What should the future hold for head coach Randy Carlyle? How much of what took place this season falls on his shoulders? Are the teams constant defensive failings a matter of coaching or are certain segments of the roster simply too flawed? How much of the collapse, for that matter, is the roster? Is it both the coaching staff and roster that need adjusting? Does a core featuring Kessel, van Riemsdyk, Lupul, Phaneuf, Kadri, Clarkson, Bernier and Rielly need serious tweaking? Are these the foundations of a team that can eventually win the ultimate prize? Where and what improvements can be attained? Where does the club go from here? A collapse of this magnitude should throw everyone and everything into question. Ron Wilson got the axe during the 2012 meltdown with only minor roster adjustments that summer (Luke Schenn notably traded). Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin were among the jettisoned following the Game 7 unraveling last spring. What comes next this time around? Six games do still remain, but hope has been drained from these Leafs and a once (and perhaps still) bright future has suddenly become muddled with questions. The bubble has just about burst. "These are the tough days in sports when you dont get the job done," said Carlyle. Five Points 1. Nothing Quite Like This Formerly with the mostly dominant Kings, Jonathan Bernier said hed never been through something quite like this. "Probably not," Bernier said. "Having a long losing streak like that, especially close to the end of the season, never happened to me before." Others like Cody Franson were forced to reflect on the horrors of 2012, which saw the Leafs lose 19 of 24 games en route to another absence from the postseason. "I dont think it brings back memories of that," he said. "We havent thought about that stretch back then. I thought weve come out with a lot of good efforts and theyre ending up on the wrong side of the stick. Its not like were playing bad hockey, its just one of those things where every mistake that we do make ends up [in the net]." "The try is there, [but] we didnt get the job done," said Lupul. "We have to deal with that now." Losers in nine of the past 10, the Leafs lost 10 of 11 before Wilson was dismissed in March of 2012. 2. Bernier Back-to-Back Probably still not at 100 per cent, Bernier nonetheless started both ends of a back-to-back for just the second time in his NHL career. Facing a slew of odd-man rush opportunities, the 25-year-old gave up four goals for the third consecutive game. "I felt really good tonight," he said. Darren Helm scored three of the four on Bernier. The first saw him pick off Jake Gardiner at the offensive blue-line shorthanded before eventually outmaneuvering Torontos power-play unit for a backhand marker. Helm would add a second on a redirection - he was all alone in front - the third and final dagger on a breakaway. Gustav Nyquist notched the other Detroit goal, beating Bernier five-hole after Johan Franzens shot attempt ricocheted off the skate of Phaneuf moving in reverse. In three starts upon returning a groin injury that kept him out five games, Bernier has allowed 12 goals on 105 shots for an off-kilter .886 save percentage. Considering his earlier theatrics this season, its worth wondering just how healthy he really is. 3. Kadri Benched Nazem Kadri was on the ice for back-to-back goals on consecutive shifts in the middle frame and was eventually benched for it. The 23-year-old was casual on the back-check on the sequence that led to the second Wings goal from Nyquist, out-muscled by Joakim Andersson in a one-on-one battle that resulted in the third marker from Helm. Kadri began the third frame on the fourth line, joined by Jay McClement and Troy Bodie. He totaled just four shifts and less than four minutes in the period, finishing with just over 14 minutes on the evening. The London, Ontario native has just one goal and four points in the past 11 games. 4. Kessel 40-Goal Chase Rightfully lost in the Leafs collapse, but still a point of intrigue, is Phil Kessels chase for 40 goals. The 26-year-old posted a career-high of 37 back in the 2011-12 season, but remains stuck on 36 this year with just six games to play. The teams leading scorer finished March with four goals and 10 points in 15 games. Stung on the foot by a James van Riemsdyk pass attempt in the second frame, Kessel was seen limping around the underbelly of the ACC afterward. Carlyle had no update on his status. 5. Gardiner Revival With two assists in defeat on Saturday, Jake Gardiner finished March with 11 points and a share of the team lead (Tyler Bozak). The 23-year-old is up to 28 points on the year, third on the defence behind Dion Phaneuf (31) and Cody Franson (30). He led the Leafs with more than 23 minutes on Saturday. Franson, who scored the first Toronto goal, set a career-high with his 30th point of the year, eclipsing the 29 he posted last season. Stats-Pack 1-9-0 – Leafs record in the past 10 games. 11 – Points in the past 12 games for Jake Gardiner. 30 – Points this season for Cody Franson, a new career-high. .886 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier in three starts after return from a groin injury. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-2Season: 20.4% (6th) PK: 3-3Season: 78.4 (28th) Quote of the Night "I cant describe it right now. This is probably the first time after this game that things are probably looking a little bleak for us." -Joffrey Lupul, following the loss to Detroit. Up Next Calgary visits the ACC on Tuesday evening. Donte Jackson Youth Jersey . JOHNS, N. Luke Kuechly Womens Jersey . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-curtis-samuel-blue-jersey/ . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday.NEW YORK -- The entire season for the New York Mets boiled down to two dates on the calendar: "Super Tuesday" and panic Monday. Terry Collins is coming back confident better days lie ahead. "Maybe we can finish what we started," he said. The manager received a two-year contract extension Monday with a club option for 2016, a move the Mets announced one day after finishing 74-88 for the second consecutive season. Collins previous deal was about to expire, but it became increasingly clear down the stretch that he likely would return. "In many ways, Terry had an outstanding year," general manager Sandy Alderson said. "The team never quit, continued to play hard, continued to play with the resources it had at hand and finished as well as we could have expected." Fielding an inexperienced lineup ravaged by injuries and trades, the 64-year-old Collins kept New York competitive all summer without many of his top players -- including team captain David Wright, All-Star ace Matt Harvey and closer Bobby Parnell. Still, the rebuilding Mets were unable to overcome a 25-40 start and limped to their fifth straight losing record since moving into Citi Field. They edged Philadelphia for third place in the NL East after coming in fourth the previous four years. "We saw some bright things that happened this year with some of our young players. Obviously, weve got some outstanding young pitching coming," Collins said. "Were going into spring training with very, very high expectations. Its time to put some wins on the board." New York did just that during an encouraging stretch that began June 18, the day touted pitcher Zack Wheeler was called up from the minors and leadoff hitter Eric Young Jr. was obtained from Colorado. In a doubleheader dubbed "Super Tuesday" by a city tabloid, Harvey and Wheeler pitched the Mets to a sweep at NL East champion Atlanta. From there they went 33-26 through Aug. 20, while Youngs much-needed speed sparked a stagnant offence on his way to the National League stolen base crown. But the following Monday, Aug. 26, Harvey was shut down with a partially torn ligament in his right elbow that left his status for next season uncertain. He hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery with a strengthening and throwing program, though the Mets dont sound too optimistic. "Certainly losing Matt was a shock to the system, and I think emotionally weve all had to recover from that a little bit," Alderson said. "Even if Matt doesnt have the surgery, its going to affect our plan." The plan all along was to compete for a playoff spot in 2014. With about $40 million in player salaries coming off the payroll, the Mets expect to be active in free agency. Desperate for productive bats and a steady shortstop, New York could eye outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Nelson Cruz. "Im really excited about what we might be able too do this off-season," Alderson said. Will Grier Youth Jersey. "Certainly well have more payroll flexibility than weve had since Ive been here." Alderson, Collins and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon are part of the brain trust headed to Florida to begin organizational meetings Tuesday. Alderson said next years budget will be set early on. The Mets own the 10th selection in the June draft, which means they wouldnt have to forfeit it to sign a top-tier free agent who receives a qualifying offer from his previous club. The top 10 picks are protected, eliminating a significant concern. Eager to upgrade in many areas, the Mets nevertheless will keep in mind the bloated contracts they gave to injury-prone Johan Santana and Jason Bay. "Those are cautionary examples of what can happen," Alderson said. "Its great to say, well, we have financial flexibility and then blow it on players deals that dont work out and put yourself right back in the same situation we were in before. At the same time, at some point youve got to go for it. So, having flexibility is great. But at some point youve got to put yourself on the line. And I think what were going to try to do is balance the level of our commitments with the desire to continue to maintain some flexibility going forward. Not just next year, but years after that." Trading some of their ballyhooed minor league pitching might be one way for the Mets to add offence. But that route can be risky. "I find it tough sometimes to trade young guys. And I think that fans identify with the young guys," Alderson said. "Having said that, were at a point now where we are in a position to make a deal for an established player (by) giving up some resources. But we have to be careful that we dont turn a strength into a weakness. And with Matt out, it makes it a little more difficult to give up the two or three guys that we know are right on the cusp." Alderson was encouraged by New Yorks .500 record over the final 100 games and acknowledged that was a significant factor in the decision to keep Collins, who is 225-261 in three seasons as Mets manager. His entire coaching staff also was retained. "Weve got the base. Now weve just got to make sure guys play up to their potential," Collins said. "We have the players to do it. Theyve got to buy into it." The team went 41-40 on the road this year, but both men were dismayed by a 33-48 mark at home that left the Mets a dubious 103-140 at Citi Field over the past three seasons. "I think part of it is the player mix," Alderson said. "Part of it has got to be something to do with the home environment here, whether thats here at the ballpark, whether its in the clubhouse, whether its on 45th and Sixth Avenue. I dont know. There are a variety of factors that were going to have to look at hard, because we cant allow this to continue." ' ' '