It appears I might have jinxed Toronto FC when I recently wrote about my belief that their playoff drought was about to end. With a 1-3-4 record in their last eight regular season games, it’s time to get back on track.

Today’s game against the Montreal Impact offers the perfect opportunity for Toronto FC to return to winning ways. Losing the last two games against the cream of the Eastern Conference crop is one thing, but there will be no excuses if they fail to beat the worst team in the league.

What hasn’t helped TFC on their recent bad run is careless defending, with the team conceding 12 goals in six games. (Or 15 in seven, if you want to include the unhelpful friendly against Tottenham Hotspur.)

In Toronto FC’s defence (no pun intended), they haven’t been helped by the absence of regular starters Mark Bloom and captain Steven Caldwell. At least the return of Doneil Henry (who missed the 3-0 loss to D.C. United) is a step in the right direction, and he spoke to the media ahead of the game in Montreal:

Not to put too much emphasis on today’s match, but it’s imperative Toronto FC beat their Canadian rivals. With games coming up against the Columbus Crew (level on 26 points) and the MLS Cup champion Sporting Kansas City, points are at a premium these days.

Of course, just to have TFC in a playoff position at this time of the year is an improvement on previous years (with the team currently just three points off last season’s final total). However, it’s now on the shoulders of the likes of Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley to step up and prove they’re worth their lucrative salaries.

Kickoff at the Stade Saputo is 5:00 pm ET. Follow us on Twitter @TipOfTheTower for live updates.