Operating one gear lower than the fleet New Jersey Devils and without a top defenceman for two periods, the Maple Leafs were easy pickings at Scotiabank Arena.

A 5-2 loss to drop under .500 (3-3-1) exposed the Leafs on a few fronts, but nothing would hurt them more long term than being without Chris Tanev for a stretch.

Our Tuesday takeaways as the sputtering Buds gratefully concede attention to the Blue Jays while getting their ice act together.

THAT HURTS

Tanev was down on all fours with an upper body injury after a hard collision in front of the Leaf net. Whether it was a shoulder or head-area issue, Craig Berube said it was possible he could miss some time, a worrisome development for a coach who usually gives a flat declaration of no news until a morning evaluation.

Among Tanev’s

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