You’ll have to go way back to the lockout-shortened 2020-21 season to find the previous time the Maple Leafs lost five straight games.

Yet, it’s not so hard to unearth why things have turned against Toronto in this November of negativity. Lack of detail defensively has, more often than not, come back to bite them in the butt. That, and trying to replace injured players with reliable, experienced help, which they’ll have to sort out before a potentially season-killing six-game road trip gets going in a week.

Our takeaways from a 3-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Saturday night that dropped the Leafs’ road record to 1-5.

WOLL STREET JOURNAL

We’ll start with the most encouraging development of the night, Joseph Woll’s successful return.

Whatever kept him at home for a month didn’t equate to rust in his first start since April 17. He looked engaged in making 29 saves, though he couldn’t be protected from a couple of coverage errors that have dogged the three goalies who’ve preceded him this season.

The last thing Toronto needs is a full crisis in goal, but now he and Dennis Hildeby have put in efforts this week that would have been good enough for wins on last year’s Leafs. They must hold the fort until Anthony Stolarz  comes back in form, presumably late next week, from an upper-body injury that landed him on IR.

CONFIDENCE GAME

There have been some heads hanging low in a pair of one-goal losses this week after late letdowns cost points.

“I’ve got to motivate them the best way I can,” head coach Craig Berube told reporters in Chicago after the game. “Maybe it’s a kick in the ass, maybe it’s positive reinforcerment, too.”

Saturday was not a blowout, however the plane ride home will hurt because it wasn’t just a couple of wrong reads by defenceman Philippe Myers, who played for the injured Brandon Carlo. A quintet of veterans that had played well all night were on the ice when another failed clear ended up getting tipped past Woll for the winner with less than five minutes to play in the third period.

The Leafs out-hit and almost out-shot the Hawks and did a much better job on breakouts. They also kept the Blackhawks off the board in what’s been a string of terrible second periods this autumn. The frustration was also at the other end, missing the net 28 times, which included ringing a few posts and  crossbars, plus a couple of missed breakaways.

In general, they seemed to digest Berube’s adage about working harder to create chances in doubling their shots from Thursday’s loss to the Kings. The goals by Nick Robertson and Morgan Rielly came from sustained forechecks.

Robertson was asked how the bench reacted when Teuvo Teravainen’s tying goal undid much of their good work up to that stage early in the third period.

“It’s no secret, we haven’t won a game in a little bit,” he said. “So maybe (it was) a little bit tense. You kind of have to re-group and get back at it.”

Toronto did press hard with the net empty, without retrieving a point and is still near the bottom of the conference standings.

COWBOY BACK AT THE RANCH

Easton Cowan, whom Berube keeps reminding was not demoted to the Marlies for poor play, but for cap reasons, was flying in his return, playing left wing on a line with Nicolas Roy and Matthew Knies.

He had three shots and fired out of the penalty box after his first NHL minor to nearly beat Spencer Knight on a breakaway. At just under 17 minutes, it was his second-most ice time in 11 games.

Cowan was also seen jawing a couple of times with Connor Bedard, who went 28 picks higher than himself in the 2023 draft at first overall. Neither forward had a point in the game, despite Bedard being on a tear this year, while the Leafs survived both of Cowan’s minors.

If the Leafs don’t have to keep sacrificing Cowan to the farm to accommodate a veteran — depending on who that is of course — that should reinforce belief he belongs in the NHL.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby