Craig Berube Calls Out His Team Ahead of Matchup vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

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Chris Gerics
November 30, 2024 (3:59 PM)

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Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube called his team out for their lack of discipline ahead of their crucial matchup against Tampa Bay on Saturday.

It's been a troubling issue that's plagued Toronto all year, but the lack of discipline has caused a lot more headaches than it should.

Head coach Craig Berube acknowledges this and realizes how unacceptable it is for his team to lack the ability to take fewer penalties.

Speaking to David Alter of The Hockey News, Berube was his typical no-nonsense self when he mentioned how irresponsible it was for his team to take so many needless penalties.

Toronto Takes Too Many Penalties

This issue isn't a new one for the Maple Leafs, and they've had their issues with taking some bad calls, though they've had some bad luck too.

They've taken 78 penalties, and while that seems low, it averages out to just over 3.5 a game, and while that doesn't look terrible on paper; that's almost 4 times a game shorthanded. That leads to a lot more opportunities for opponents to take advantage of the Leafs' lack of discipline.

Berube acknowledged this, noting that in Toronto's 5-1 loss to Florida, they had some pretty disastrous discipline issues:

"I thought we took some needless penalties in that game that cost us," Berube said. You take six minutes in the third period and you're down 3-1, it's going to be tough. It's making it really difficult to come back in the game."

Toronto's biggest offenders are Ryan Reaves, Max Domi, Jake McCabe, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While it's feasible to argue Reaves and Domi's penalty numbers, having two of your defensemen always taking penalties is a bad sign, and Simon Benoit is right behind them too.

The Maple Leafs have done well on the penalty kill, but they can't keep taking chances and risk-taking silly penalties when there's no need to. It's a worrying trend that if it doesn't stop, could cost the Leafs dearly down the line.

FAQ: Craig Berube Frustrated With Toronto's Needless Penalties

Q1: Why would Craig Berube be frustrated with his team taking too many penalties? They're winning!

A1: While Toronto has been successful on the penalty kill, there's still no excuse for the lack of discipline according to Berube. It's too risky to keep giving opponents chances to score.

Q2: Who leads in penalty minutes this season for the Maple Leafs?

A2: Ryan Reaves leads the team in penalty minutes although that's helped by his five-minute major and ten-minute misconduct from his hit on Darnell Nurse.

In closing, the Maple Leafs need to do better to take fewer penalties because the risk of your opponents scoring goes way up regardless of your penalty kill talent. If they can start being more disciplined it might lead to more success down the line.