Tension mounts in Leafs Nation after another embarrassing loss; are changes coming?

The Toronto Maple Leafs were in a favorable situation on Saturday, as they headed into PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh with a full compliment of star players to take on a Pens team that was missing Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter.

Of course, we know now that the Leafs had their doors blown off by what essentially amounted to a glorified AHL team on paper - and the aftermath of another disappointing loss has Leafs Nation fed up and demanding change.

The very same team that blew a 3-1 series lead against the lowest-ranked playoff seed Montreal Canadiens, lost to an emergency backup goaltender (who also happened to operate the zamboni for the Toronto Marlies), and who hasn't seen the 2nd round of the playoffs for almost two decades were blown out 7-1 in one of its worst performances in the history of the franchise by a team bereft of almost any star talent. That's embarrassing.

Just to get an idea of what Maple Leafs Twitter has looked like over the past 12-14 hours, here are some tweets from Leafs Nation, frustrated and upset over the on-ice product they've been handed early on this season.

While it's unlikely that the Leafs would replace GM Kyle Dubas this early into the season and equally unlikely that they'd terminate head coach Sheldon Keefe shortly after inking him to a 3-year extension, if the Leafs can't figure out a way to right the ship in a hurry, it's difficult to argue that changes won't be made.

I believe that the current management group will give this group some time to redeem themselves, but if the Leafs continue on the course they're currently on, I can certainly see some on-ice personnel changes on the horizon in Toronto.

There is far too much at stake for the Leafs organization to continue to accept mediocrity from a costly, underachieving core.

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