Joffrey Lupul promises the Maple Leafs will turn things around.

“We’re going to switch things around by playing more of a team game and doing it as a team,” said Lupul. “That being said, you do need individuals to step up at points.

“You want to step up your individual game but within the team structure. It’s easy to try to do too much and get off on your own page. You see that when teams are struggling, guys want to make an impact and do things that aren’t what usually makes them successful.”

The Maple Leafs have lost five of their last six. Reading the tea leaves, it could well be James Reimer in net for a repeat perfomance or Jonathan Bernier.

The Leafs don’t announce their starting goalies. Bernier started practice in the home-team net — an indication he was starting — but Reimer finished the skate in the home-team net and left the ice first — an indication he was starting.

Bernier is 10-11-2 with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He lost his last start, Monday, against Pittsburgh. He has won one of his last five appearances that includes coming in for relief for James Reimer on Dec. 12 in St. Louis.

The Coyotes are expected to go with Team Canada hopeful Mike Smith.

The Leafs haven’t held their opponents to fewer than three goals for the last seven games.

Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said the coaching staff spent Wednesday — a day off for players — re-evaluating the direction of team.

Things like “where we think the hockey club is heading, and if there were positives we could accentuate and try to eliminate some of the negatives that are happening around our group,” said Carlyle. “We formulated a plan and presented it to the players.

“We think there are some things we can hang our hat on, that if we continue to get this group to commit to playing a more aggressive forecheck, a more aggressive zone, the tide will turn in our favour. We will find ways to have success.”

Carlyle says the team has been better at forechecking, has cut down the number of penalties it was taking and has cut down shots against, but has been hurt by individual mistakes.

“What we’ve tried to do is re-set our group,” said Carlyle.

GARDINER CHIT-CHAT

Carlyle said he talked to Jake Gardiner about the kinds of mistakes he was making that led to his benching for the second period Tuesday against Florida.

“It’s not that he’s been playing poorly. He had five or six good strong games. But then two games he makes mistakes and the puck ends up in the back of our net. It’s hard to ignore as a coach. He feels that the mistakes he makes are very easily improved.

“He’s a talented young player. He can move the puck and he can skate. He’ll get that opportunity to do it again.”

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KEEPING MORGAN RIELLY

Said Carlyle: “We felt we have a young player, you have to provide him with quality minutes and a quality opportunity. My biggest worry is playing him too much. He’s earned an opportunity to play in our lineup. We feel he’d be best suited playing with us, because he’s going to play.

Said Rielly: “My goal is to play here in Toronto. Any time you have a chance to play for Team Canada, it’s huge honour. I’ve been privileged enough to play for that team, the U-20s, the U-18s, which are all great experiences. I think playing in Toronto is a goal that I had for quite some time. I’m happy I’m here. All I’m worried about now is playing well and helping the team win some games.”

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