Leafs players reveal who delivered speech during second intermission to spark comeback vs. Sens

BarDown Staff

Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

Heading into their clash with the Ottawa Senators Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs had lost four games in a row.

The latest loss was an overtime to defeat at the hands of the Flyers and after the game, Frederik Andersen was brutally honest with his team.

Frederik Andersen: "We got to regroup. We got to figure out who wants to commit to playing for the team ... we got to have a different attitude ... we have to find a way to keep the foot on the gas the whole game, can't be satisfied at 2-0"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 19, 2018

Andersen frustrated to face a 2-on-1 when Leafs were on PP?

“Yeah. I think a lot of guys on the bench too, pretty frustrated not being on the power play & seeing that kind of effort. I think we got to look each other in the eyes here and determine where we want to go from here.”
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 19, 2018

Frederik Andersen: "I think it’s a lack of effort at certain points. It certainly can’t happen. We got to figure this out if we want to play any meaningful hockey later. We have to figure this out."
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 19, 2018

Andersen: "We’re sitting pretty good. We got it pretty comfortable but there can’t be any reason for not playing the right way. We have to be ready when it comes to (post) all-star, bc it’s going to be tougher for everyone. Teams are trying to catch us & we can’t slide like this"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 19, 2018

The Leafs looked to end their losing streak against the Senators, but they were down 3-1 heading into the third. It looked like the streak would extend to four, but the Leafs regrouped and scored three goals in the third to win the game 4-3.

After the game, the players revealed what happened during the second intermission and who spoke up and got the team focused and fired up.

Leafs players say Marleau gave speech in second intermission to refocus everyone
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 21, 2018

Marleau is a soft-spoken guy, but the veteran knew it was time to get up in front of his teammates and refocus them to go out and get the win or at the very least, give it all they had trying to do so.

Patrick Marleau doesn't often speak up in the room; why tonight?

"I just think it's time. We had been going through a little bit of a skid here. Working our way out of it we needed everybody and everybody brought it tonight. It was good."
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 21, 2018

While nobody revealed what Marleau said, Matthews did provide this quote about the former Shark:

Auston Matthews mentioned guys speaking up in second intermission as big for #Leafs, when I followed up asking what the specific messaging was he mentioned Marleau pic.twitter.com/kN5UJvtlpt
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) January 21, 2018

Now that the Leafs have won for the first time in four games, they'll have a tough test on their hands when they head home as the Avalanche are in town Monday going for their 10th-straight win.

(H/T: Mark Masters and Kristen Shilton)