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TORONTO - There are many questions surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs, namely: How did this happen? How, in less than two weeks, did a team that was sitting pretty in second place in the Atlantic Division fritter away a three-point lead over the Montreal Canadiens and nine-point advantage over the Detroit Red Wings? As the players come to grips with the roots of their six-game losing streak, Tuesdays almost-comeback against the St. Louis Blues highlighted a big issue: Why cant the Leafs play with the desperation they show when down two or three goals at the start of games? "Thats the million-dollar question right now," winger James van Riemsdyk said. "It seems like every time we get down we start to ramp it up, and then its always just a little too little, too late at the end." It may be too little, too late for the Leafs if they cant figure out how to solve that problem. Theyre tied at 80 points with the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals but are fourth among those teams for the Eastern Conferences two wild-card spots because theyve played the most games (74). Of course that also means their eight remaining are the fewest among those in the race and theres not much time to figure out slow starts, a central problem during this losing skid. Against the Blues, the Leafs scored first for the first time since March 10, but they also gave up a season-high 23 shots in the opening period and were hemmed in their zone often. "We just couldnt get out of our zone," winger Joffrey Lupul said. "They put a lot of pressure on us, and we couldnt handle it." Coach Randy Carlyle noticed some of the pressure that has been building on his team early on Tuesday night. "Theres a lot of tenseness in our players," he said after the 5-3 loss. "The first three puck recoveries, we just slapped the puck away. We didnt pick up the puck and skate with it at all. Thats showing signs of being nervous, tense, (a lack of) confidence not wanting to make a mistake, which led to more offensive-zone time (for St. Louis)." The listless Leafs led for less than five minutes, then trailed from the time David Backes scored with 32.3 seconds left in the first period until the end of the game. It was only after ex-Toronto forward Alex Steen scored to make it 4-1 that the Leafs showed some fire and launched a comeback bid that fell short. At this point, players are even self-aware that the transformation is happening once they fall behind. "It seems like when we get down, then were playing with no fear, were letting some of our skill take over, our defencemen are rushing the puck out of the zone and making plays," Lupul said. "Theres something to be said about being down and not having that fear anymore, but realistically weve got to play like that right from the start. Its more of a psychological thing than it is a physical thing." If its a mental problem, defenceman Carl Gunnarsson doesnt have the answer. "Weve been talking about it," he said. "I dont know whats going on there, but weve got to figure out a way here to change it." Changing it and managing to play as well as they did in the bulk of the third period against the Blues would give the Leafs a good chance of coming out of this tailspin and making the playoffs. Gunnarsson and goaltender Jonathan Bernier agreed that, although thats a challenge, the end result could be scary for opponents. "If we play like we did in the third period for 60 minutes, I dont think theres a lot of teams that can beat us," Gunnarsson said. Of course if the Leafs make mistakes like they did in the first half of the game and throughout this losing streak, they can lose to any team left on the schedule. They visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday before returning home to face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday and also have games against the Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators to close out the season. We have a lot of fight left in us," van Riemsdyk said. "Theres eight games left, and well have to leave it all out there in every game." Donte Moncrief Jersey . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. D.J. Hayden Jersey . -- Orleans Darkwa ran in from 1 yard with 1:45 left, and the Miami Dolphins rallied from two scores down in the final minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20 on Saturday night. http://www.authenticjaguarslockroom.com/Youth-Andrew-Norwell-Elite-Jersey/ . The team let Keaton Ellerby, James Wright and Matt Halischuk become unrestricted free agents after declining to make them qualifying offers. Ellerby, 25, appeared in 51 games for the Jets last season and had two goals and four assists. Ronnie Harrison Jersey . I kept my eyes focused up on the camera during each approach. I just tried to stay focused on my form, as I didnt know what the ball reaction was. I was quite emotional at the end. I did not actually see any of the shots in the game until I got home and watched the video. Niles Paul Jaguars Jersey . Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home last year.Dublin farewelled Brian ODriscoll in style last weekend. The great man sweetened the occasion with a magic effort against Italy, tarnished later only by his rendition of Barry Manilows "Copacabana" in the changing room. While it was a fitting celebration of ODriscoll, theres symmetry in him bowing out of international rugby on Saturday in a likely Six Nations title decider in Paris. Thats where he launched himself on the rugby worlds consciousness in 2000 with a hat trick of tries in Irelands first win there over France in 28 years. To that point, he was an Irish star with 10 tests. Marked for great things as a teen with humility masking a ferocious competitiveness, he made his Ireland debut on the 1999 summer tour of Australia at age 20. Man-of-the-match awards in Irelands first two tour games made him a must-pick opposite Wallabies Dan Herbert and Tim Horan. ODriscoll held his own, and again in that years World Cup, where Ireland exited the group stage, embarrassed by Argentina. That was Ireland rugby then, a graveyard of dreams for more than a decade. But ODriscoll gave the side a world-class talent beside hooker Keith Wood, and a back who could create and score tries and return hope and thrills to Lansdowne Road. It took a 50-point hiding from England in the 2000 Six Nations opener for then-coach Warren Gatland to introduce the likes of John Hayes, Simon Easterby, Peter Stringer and Ronan OGara, who became stars of the new millennium as Irelands fortunes prospered. When France was overcome 27-25, Ireland had three wins in the championship for the first time in 15 years. ODriscolls was the first hat trick by an Irish player in the championship in 47 years. "It was lucky that I was in the right place at the right time," he said with a modesty that remains. ODriscoll has gone on to rack up a world record 140 tests, 139 of them starts, a record 132 for Ireland, the most Six Nations matches (64) and tries (26). He captained Ireland for 10 years to 2012 a record 83 times, and has 47 test tries, a record 46 for Ireland. He played in fouur World Cups without success, and only one win from four British and Irish Lions tours.dddddddddddd Ireland also has won the Six Nations only once, when he scored tries in four of their wins in the 2009 Grand Slam. A second title beckons on Saturday. The statistics reward lasting class. But his legacy interests him more. ODriscoll woke up to the requirements of being professional during his first Lions tour in 2001, a tour de force for him. Hes responsible for revolutionizing Ireland, said captain Paul OConnell, in the team since 2002. "Hes spread confidence across the whole setup," OConnell said. "I grew up watching Ireland in the 90s and maybe that confidence wasnt there when an Irish team took the field. Any team that takes the field with Brian in it always feels they have a chance of winning. "When Brian finishes, that confidence will remain in the Irish setup, because a few players have moulded themselves on him a little bit and realized this is what you need to be to be the all-round rugby player." The 35-year-old ODriscoll has also remodeled himself. He has only one try since the 2011 World Cup, and no longer accelerates through gaps. But where his leg speed has declined, his mind has only sharpened. Ask Italy, victims last weekend. ODriscolls sleight of hand and awareness set up three of Irelands first four tries. He believes his caps records will be broken, and has been grooming potential successors Robbie Henshaw and Darren Cave. Ireland has an abundance of midfield talent, he said. In giving advice, "Hes been generous to a fault," Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said. Where ODriscoll ranks among the great centres is another debate. Some in Ireland still consider him second to Mike Gibson, who retired in 1979, also after 15 years, as the world caps record-holder. No matter. ODriscolls greatness is set. Hell close a circle on Saturday at Stade de France. There, after that hat trick in the stunning victory in 2000, France coach Bernard Laporte said, "We could not stop him." Only time has. 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