Craig Berube Calls Out Maple Leafs for Lazy Habit That Must be Fixed Before Playoffs
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a critical spring in which they must go on a lengthy playoff run, and coach Craig Berube is bringing new accountability.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was hired over the summer to bring a new level of accountability that had been missing with the franchise.
He didn't mince words when it came to Toronto's recent troubling trend of taking too-many-men on the ice penalties, which he attributed to his team being guilty of "blunders".
Craig Berube Implores Team To Play Smarter
Prior to Toronto's 2-1 win over the Avalanche, Berube spoke about how he felt about his club playing a more north-south style of hockey.
I think if you look at the first period and just the predictability and the directness of, you know, going south, going north, putting pucks at the net, recovering them, And, you know, not hesitating, moving it quick, shooting it again, recovering.
We were on our toes. And, you know, we won a lot of loose puck recoveries, a lot of shot attempts. We didn't, you know, we went back with the puck. We moved it up, got it going north. You know, we've got to do the same thing tonight.
We were on our toes. And, you know, we won a lot of loose puck recoveries, a lot of shot attempts. We didn't, you know, we went back with the puck. We moved it up, got it going north. You know, we've got to do the same thing tonight.
Berube also then spoke about the importance of the Maple Leafs getting off to good starts in the 2nd period, but also catching their opponents on bad line changes.
I think second periods are really important i think it sets you up for the third if you look at our season as a whole I think if you look we've scored the most goals in the second period out of any period and going into the third we've got leads all the time.
We've done a great job of hanging on to leads and finishing games out so you know for me second periods are important obviously put you in a good spot in the third but it's the mindset in the second period.
It's playing fast getting pucks up. Catching people in bad line changes. All those types of things really go towards having a good second period.
We've done a great job of hanging on to leads and finishing games out so you know for me second periods are important obviously put you in a good spot in the third but it's the mindset in the second period.
It's playing fast getting pucks up. Catching people in bad line changes. All those types of things really go towards having a good second period.
If the Maple Leafs can continue to come out of the gates swinging while holding their opponents at bay, it can only spell good things come playoff time.
It certainly seemed to work against the Rangers on Thursday night, as the team came away with the 4-3 victory.
| POLL | ||
MARS 21|473 ANSWERS Craig Berube Calls Out Maple Leafs for Lazy Habit That Must be Fixed Before Playoffs How have you felt about Craig Berube's tenure as Maple Leafs coach so far? | ||
| Love it | 158 | 33.4 % |
| Hate it | 22 | 4.7 % |
| I'll decide after the playoffs | 250 | 52.9 % |
| Indifferent | 43 | 9.1 % |
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