Three straight regulation losses aren't a good sign. Exactly how much of a problem are the various underlying trends?

The Dallas Stars face the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night for the second and final time this season. Entering Tuesday's match, the Stars are 27-14-1 while the Maple Leafs are 27-15-2. Dallas is 93-99-33 all-time vs. Toronto, including a 39-55-20 mark on the road.

The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach felt his players delivered. The result, however, was more of the same. And now a team that did well to grasp a new system in the first half of the NHL season is facing its first real bumps in the road.

TORONTO -- Logan Stankoven ended a 25-game goal drought, scoring twice and adding an assist for the Dallas Stars in a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists and Jake Oettinger made 27 saves for the Stars (28-14-1), who have won eight of their past nine.

Matt Duchene (Dallas Stars) with a Goal vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 01/14/2025. Home; NFL; NCAAF; NBA; NHL; NCAAB; NCAAW; MLB; Daily Draw; Fantasy Sports; Soccer; Tennis; Golf; WNBA;

Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene has scored a lot of goals in his NHL career. He has scored 358 of them to be exact, thanks to his early third-period goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Klingberg hasn't played an NHL game since being in the lineup for Toronto vs. the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 11, 2023.

Injuries usually pile up as a season progresses, which has been the case for the Maple Leafs — especially on the backend. Veteran defensemen Jake McCabe (upper body) and Jani Hakanpaa (knee) are currently on injured reserve, meaning it wouldn't be shocking if general manager Brad Treliving wanted to add another defender shortly.

John Klingberg is closing in on an NHL return, and the Maple Leafs, Senators and Oilers are all reportedly interested in the veteran D-man.