RICKARD RAKELL scored the sole Duck goal Monday as Anaheim lost 6-1 to the Maple Leafs in Toronto (Bridget Samuels photo).

The hole gets deeper, and the slump – well, it’s more than a slump, it looks a bit more like a collapse – keeps on going.

In Toronto Monday, the Anaheim Ducks lost 6-1 to the Maple Leafs for their 16th defeat in 18 games. With the loss, the Orange County team saw its record go to 21-23-9. With 51 points, the Ducks are now in a third-way tie for fifth place in the NHL Pacific Division with the Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes.

One website, www.playoffstatus.com, gives the Ducks a less than 1 percent chance of making the Stanley Cup tournament, although 29 games remain.

Rickard Rakell scored the sole Anaheim goal in the third period after the Leafs already had a 3-0 lead. It was Rakell’s ninth goal of the season.

John Gibson, back in goal after giving up six goals in the first period against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, had 30 saves on 35 shots.

“Our first 20 was the best we played in a while,” said Jakob Silfverberg on the opening period. “We had that aggressiveness, but at the end of the day, it didn’t help us.”

The Ducks are next in action on Tuesday in Montreal to face the Canadiens (28-18-6),