Dreadful start does not deter Leafs

TORONTO // The Toronto Maple Leafs are penning one of the ugliest chapters in their NHL existence after a 4-1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday consigned the winless Leafs to their worst start to a season since 1991. The Leafs - off to a 0-5-1 start - and New York Islanders are the only teams still searching for their first victory. Only once since 1917, when the NHL was formed, have the Leafs got a campaign off to a worse start - 18 years ago. "If it was easy to prevent losing streaks there would be a book on it but there isn't - I've looked," the Leafs coach Ron Wilson said.

"We've got to relax, do a complete reset. The worst has already happened." Colorado jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead, Brett Clark converting a power-play chance before David Jones split the Toronto defence with less than a minute remaining to send the Leafs into the intermission under a shower of boos. Toronto answered back with a power-play goal early in the second on Francois Beauchemin's long range rocket past a badly screened Craig Anderson.

But the Avalanche quickly regained control with a power-play goal from former Leaf Darcy Tucker and an even strength tally from John-Michael Liles to go 4-1 up. "Just not good enough right now from all of us," said Leafs defenceman Komisarek. "You lose a couple of games and it seem like it's an insurmountable mountain to climb.But it's not." * Reuters