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Maple Leafs coach Wilson seeking better defensive effort

Jan 29, 2009 - 11:26 AM Toronto (17-23-8) at Colorado (23-24-1), 9:30 pm EST

DENVER (Ticker) -- Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson wants more effort on the defensive end.

The Maple Leafs will try to oblige their coach and snap a four-game losing skid when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

Following a 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Wilson did not mince words about the club's defensive play.

"We've got a lot of guys who have to show a lot more pride in their performance defensively than they are showing," said Wilson, who is in his first year behind the bench in Toronto.

"Turnovers, or losing your position defensively, a lot of our D were on the wrong side of situations, giving the inside route to their players, and bang, bang, bang, next thing you know, we're completely out of the game in a hurry."

The Maple Leafs will take on an injury-riddled offense. The Avalanche have struggled to score goals with centers Paul Stastny and captain Joe Sakic out of the lineup.

That problem continued Tuesday for Colorado, which was blanked for the fifth time this season in a 3-0 setback to the San Jose Sharks.

The bad news on the injury front continued to roll in for the Avalanche as David Jones injured his shoulder in that contest and is out indefinitely.

Wojtek Wolski and rookie Chris Stewart are also questionable, which could severely limit Colorado on the offensive end. Wolski is nursing a bruised foot and Stewart has the flu.