TORONTO -- It was nothing new to see these Toronto Maple Leafs beaten. Calvin Ridley Jersey . A 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings was their eighth straight in regulation. But Saturday night in the home locker room at Air Canada Centre, the Leafs looked defeated for the first time during this losing streak or this once-hopeful season that has quickly gone off the rails. "I cant describe it right now," winger Joffrey Lupul said. "This was as close to a do-or-die as you can get. But obviously were not going to throw out hope until its mathematically set in stone. But we pretty much had to have this game." Seven losses piled up and yet the Leafs still sounded like a team that had hope. Giving up huge leads in the standings to the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals to fall into a four-way tie at 80 points was one thing. Squandering the most important game of this stretch so far to a fellow Eastern Conference wild-card competitor felt like the breaking point. "This loss is the most disappointing out of the eight. Theres no hiding that," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "We come tonight against a team that was battling for that same spot and they win this hockey game. This is the toughest loss for sure." Detroit (34-26-14) got a hat trick from Darren Helm and another from the NHLs hottest goal-scorer, Gustav Nyquist, to reach 82 points. "It was the first hat trick I ever had, which is pretty special," Helm said. "Big game to win, too. I was happy to win the game, first off, but the hat trick is a nice thing to take home." The Red Wings werent the only ones in the race to win Saturday night, as the Blue Jackets beat the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime to take over the top wild-card spot in the East at 82 points. Columbus leads Detroit because they have more regulation and overtime wins (33 to 29). With just six games remaining -- two less than each of the three teams theyre competing with for two spots -- the Leafs are fourth among those teams and know the difficult task in front of them. "Weve got to win the rest of our games and get help now, I think," said Lupul, who scored the Leafs second goal of the night late in the second period to give some life that evaporated in the third. "All we can control right now is winning the rest of our games, and were going to have to have every one, probably." Phaneuf didnt want to consider that daunting task. The defenceman whose miscues cost the Leafs in previous defeats didnt want to think too far ahead but also called this a "very trying" time for a group that was in second place in the Atlantic Division as recently as Mar. 16. This was the first time in franchise history that Toronto (36-32-8) went eight straight games without a point since 1996 and the first time it lost eight consecutive in regulation since 1985. "Its not like were playing bad hockey, its just one of those things where every mistake that we do make ends up (in our net)," said defenceman Cody Franson, who opened the scoring 10:57 into the first period. "Its the end of the season, everybodys clamping down and your little mistakes end up costing you. Plain and simple." Mistakes like a turnover by Phil Kessel on the power play early in the second that led to Helms first, a short-handed goal. Or like the puck taking a bad hop off Franson and right to Helm for his third. "It just isnt meant to be for us right now, and this is the tough ones," coach Randy Carlyle said. Asked what he figured the difference was in the loss, his third straight since returning from a groin injury, goaltender Jonathan Bernier (24 saves on 28 shots) said: "Odd-man rushes." Lupul agreed. "We gave up odd-man situations repeatedly for whatever reason," he said. "Its tough to say from the bench, thats something you notice when you watch the game again. But the try is there, just we didnt get the job done and we have to pay for that now." The Leafs have been paying since they last won a game, Mar. 13 at the Los Angeles Kings. Most importantly they havent been picking up valuable points with the games whittling down to the end of the regular season. On the other hand, Detroit has picked up 11 points and gone on an impressive run without star forward Pavel Datsyuk and captain Henrik Zetterberg. The injuries have piled up, but the Red Wings have gotten 21 goals in 26 games from Nyquist and continued solid performances from goalie Jimmy Howard (25 saves) to remain in the playoff race. "Weve been devastated this year, no question about it, but we found all these kids and were better for it going ahead, so thats a positive thing," coach Mike Babcock said. "Weve had a lot of fun doing it. Weve been in the grinder since day one, theres no question about it, but weve had a lot of fun doing it and weve got a big game against Tampa tomorrow." Every game down the stretch is big for the Leafs now. They return to Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night to face the Calgary Flames before hosting the Atlantic Division-champion Boston Bruins on Thursday and the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. They finish the season with three on the road: at the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. But unless they manage to string together a home winning streak, those games will be too late. The task in front of them is to prevent doing even once more what theyve done eight consecutive times. As the Leafs seemed to realize Saturday night, they can no longer afford to lose. "Weve won six in a row in the season," Bernier said. "Obviously its hard to snap the long losing streak like that, but weve got to find a way. If not, then well be home very soon." NOTE -- Winger Phil Kessel took a pass from James van Riemsdyk off his right foot in the first period and laboured to the bench in pain. Kessel was seen limping after the game, but Carlyle did not have any information on his condition. ... Bernier started on back-to-back days for the first time this season and just the second time in his NHL career. The only previous time was March 5, 2013 with the Los Angeles Kings, when Bernier was pulled after giving up three goals on eight shots. ... Defenceman Paul Ranger and enforcer Colton Orr were scratched for the Leafs, who recalled forward Jerry DAmigo earlier in the day from the AHLs Toronto Marlies. ... The Red Wings were playing their 14th straight game without Datsyuk (knee) and 16th straight without Zetterberg (back). Theyve played 35 total without Datsyuk and 29 without Zetterberg. ... The game was broadcast live on CCTV in China. Isaiah Oliver Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Ito Smith Jersey . -- The Detroit Lions made it crystal clear to Golden Tate that he was their top target in free agency. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Isaiah-Oliver-Jersey/ . Perhaps their first trip to the city of Winnipeg in 16 years can serve as the shakeup they need.SEATTLE -- If they are healthy, the Seattle Mariners believe they may have lured Corey Hart at a bargain rate and given up little to get Logan Morrison. Health will be the biggest question for both. On Friday, after the Mariners finalized their one-year deal with Hart and the trade with Miami to acquire Morrison, they both said they were ready for a full season after knee troubles in the past. Seattle capped a hectic two days of activity after both players passed physicals on Friday. Morrison was acquired for right-handed reliever Carter Capps from the Marlins, while Hart signed an incentive-laden $6 million, one-year deal that could be worth up to $10.65 million if hes healthy and has 650 plate appearances. The moves came a day after Seattles big splash when it completed the $240 million, 10-year deal with free agent second baseman Robinson Cano. "You look at the ball clubs and you want to go to a place thats kind of headed in the right direction and with them signing (Cano) I saw the organization is definitely moving forward," Hart said. Harts decision to come to Seattle was partly due to a longstanding relationship with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik, who was part of the Milwaukee front office that draft Hart. That familiarity helped seal Harts decision, as did little factors like spring training in Arizona and the opportunity to give his body a rest but stay in the lineup being used as a designated hitter. The ability to get a break occasionally and still DH was important for both players. "It does give you some versatility. For both players now being in the American League where we have the DH is going to help both guys," Zduriencik said. "Between right field, first base, designated hitter and a chance to get them off the field a little bit and get a break is going to help both guys. If Hart can stay healthy, getting the two-time All-Star for one season on a relatively inexpensive deal could be a significant coup for the Mariners, who have made adding offence a top priority this off-season. It started with Canos deal continued by adding a needed right--handed bat in Hart that can provide protection in the lineup. Calvin Ridley Falcons Jersey. Hart did not play in 2013 because of a right knee surgery in January 2013 after a meniscus tear and joint damage was discovered. It was his second knee surgery in a year after having his right knee operated on before the start of the 2012 season to repair damaged cartilage. His last season in 2012 was one of the best in his career. Hart hit .270 with 30 homers and 83 RBIs with Milwaukee. Hart also had 35 doubles in 2012 and posted an on-base plus slugging percentage of above .800 from 2010 through 2012. Hart was cleared for full activity about two weeks ago, he said, but had been working out at nearly full capacity for about six weeks. Hes lost weight and feels he could play in the outfield about five days a week without issue. Seattle sent scouts to watch Harts workouts in Arizona before making the offer. Morrison also fits Seattles need of having the versatility to play a few different positions and be an option at first base. He has not been able to match the power he showed during the 2011 season when he slugged 23 homers and had 72 RBIs for the Marlins, slowed by injuries. He had right knee surgery in September 2012 and missed the first two months of the 2013 season. He played 85 games last season for Miami and nearly all of them at first base in the field. "We really havent seen a productive LoMo since the 2011 season. Theres still a ton of potential there with LoMo," Marlins president of baseball operations Mike Hill said. Morrison said its been two seasons since he had a full spring training and expects thats where the position decisions will be figured out. He also showed off a bit of his personality that has drawn him more than 100,000 Twitter followers, joking about being willing to play centre field if needed and having to do workouts rehabbing that were more for older people than a 26-year-old baseball player. "Im so excited to be here now and getting a fresh lease on my baseball life, its a pretty cool feeling," Morrison said. "I wish the season started now." 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