Craig Berube Reveals What the Maple Leafs Must Do to Win Game 7
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube laid it all out ahead of Game 7 and explained the main thing the team needs to do if they are to advance to the Conference Finals.
It was a tense, anxious, and nail-biting affair on Friday night between Florida and Toronto, but the Maple Leafs were able to pull off a surprising 2-0 victory and push a Game 7 where the pressure and the stakes will be even higher.
Backed by goals from Auston Matthews (finally) and Max Pacioretty, it was enough combined with Joseph Woll's brilliance to keep the Panthers off the scoresheet and feeling a heavy dose of disappointment they couldn't close it out.
With all eyes on Game 7, the tension has never been thicker. But for Craig Berube, someone who has won it all before, he knows what's at stake:
Everything's on the line.
But he wasn't exactly putting all his eggs in one basket going into Game 7 either:
You gotta reset. Win or lose.
We just need to understand what we need to do in the Game 7 at home.
We just need to understand what we need to do in the Game 7 at home.
That certainly rings true but almost feels like an understatement from the Maple Leafs bench boss.
Auston Matthews Era Depends On Game 7
If Game 6 was the biggest game of Auston Matthews' career, then this Game 7 is going to usurp that come Sunday.
This is the most success he's ever had since being with the team, and the fact he came up in the clutch is a welcome change. He picked the perfect time to score and hopefully it gives him the confidence to score again in the final game.
Often criticized for years for his inability to come through in the clutch, another solid performance on Sunday could solidify his legacy and completely turn his reputation around.
But it wasn't just Matthews who picked things up, as Mitch Marner got an assist on Matthews' opening goal, and the near invisible Bobby McMann ended up dishing a saucer pass to Max Pacioretty who backhanded it past Sergei Bobrovsky.
Their entire future is on the line. If they win and head to the Conference Finals, they have a legitimate shot at pulling through to the Cup Finals, and that could lead to the Core 4 sticking around for the long haul; fresh off a successful run.
If not however, and the reigning champion Panthers get by Toronto? Then you can expect a lot of changes in Toronto, and the unfortunate and tragic end of the Core 4 and Auston Matthews era.
| POLL | ||
MAI 17 | 625 ANSWERS Craig Berube Reveals What the Maple Leafs Must Do to Win Game 7 Do you think the Maple Leafs will put in all on the line and win Game 7? | ||
| Yes | 466 | 74.6 % |
| No | 159 | 25.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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