Can't you see the culture of "meaningless games" is what leads them to ruin in the end? If the other team can win the equally meaningless game by accessing a greater level of detail, effort, execution, guess what happens when it really matters?
There are games that have no impact on standings, but if a team can't find the motivation to find meaning in what they do they are in trouble.
I dont think the Leafs are unique in playing down to an opponent, Las Vegas does it, Colorado does it, Boston does it, they all do it. What I find problematic is the inability of the Leafs to play their B game, an ugly, clog the neutral zone slow the game down, grind the game down to a point of boring. The good teams, when they dont have their A game, are patient, they can be patient and grind the game down so much the other team gets inpatient and makes mistakes. This is the Leafs ultimate flaw over the last 8 years is Leaf impatience and trying forcing the game to the point where they make more mistakes than their opponent and end up losing as a result of stupid impatient approach. In the NHL it comes down to mistakes, the team that makes more mistakes tends to lose the game more often, the team that tends to make more mistakes is generally the team that is more impatient. Coaches hate flashy and cute, they want safe and boring. Berube has mentioned a few times he though his team was being too cute, too indirect. The Leafs are the young Bull, they have yet to learn to walk down that hill.