Laughton and Roy score right after leaving the Maple Leafs - the Berube problem is real
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Scott Laughton and Nicolas Roy make instant impacts with their new teams and it shed light on Craig Berube's lack of offence when it comes to the Maple Leafs lineup and what needs to change going forward.
It didn't take long for Roy or Laughton to get acclimated; and they didn't really have the time as they were scheduled to line up with their new clubs right away.
But both immediately made an impact with goals for Colorado and Los Angeles respectively.
Laughton scores for Kings, Roy for Avalanche -- both in the first week
Taking it all in stride however, Laughton was impactful immediately, scoring in LA's 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and was tasked with being out there for the last minute in order to tie the game.
Roy didn't immediately score like Laughton did, but in game two on Sunday afternoon he did end up putting the puck in; so make it two traded Leafs -- two goals.
That really looks bad on Craig Berube who seemingly glued both Laughton and Roy to the third and fourth lines all year but clearly could have utilized them in a more offensive capacity though his style really isn't focused on scoring.
Why neither player was the problem in Toronto
Obviously they weren't problems, because let's be honest it felt like Roy and Laughton were some of the only ones to show up on certain nights. Both locker room leaders, they took their losses in stride, played hard, and never complained.
Easton Cowan gushed about how much Laughton meant to him and his growth, meanwhile Auston Matthews and Max Domi were really close with him as well. That's your captain and his now right-hand man; don't you think expanding on that chemistry would prove fruitful?
Roy was given a rotating group of forwards and random healthy scratches around him and did his best considering how much noise there was coming in.
This is who Toronto got for Mitch Marner, and you give him away a year later?
That's not a Roy problem, it's a management issue.
You have a locker room who respects and admires both players, your future star disheartened that one of his best friends and mentors was shipped out unceremoniously, and a team that's fractured both on and off the ice.
The Berube problem the Leafs can no longer ignore
If it isn't the players fault, and management can't be on the ice, that leaves one culprit for all of this: Craig Berube.
He's a very accomplished coach, plays a gritty and hard style of hockey, and is known to be a fair, but strict boss.
Though he's also stubborn as a mule and refuses to make any serious changes in the lineup now, and certainly didn't last season. The offensive side was anemic, but Laughton and Roy had 15 goals combined (with Laughton surprisingly at 10).
That would be better than Max Domi, Morgan Rielly, Dakota Joshua, Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz. How on Earth Laughton never got a chance in the top-six is beyond me, and while he's not going to be an offensive stud; every line needs its glue guy.
He also completely mismanaged both men when it came to the penalty kill. These guys were brought in specifically to ease the burden of Matthews and yet for some reason, barely felt like PK specialists.
Why he never thought to give Laughton, Cowan and Matthews a look together, or move John Tavares to the wing and let Roy handle the harder stuff are questions we'll never get the answers to.
Heck, the power-play could have used Roy instead of Max Domi especially on the defensive side.
No longer able to enjoy the luxury of a 102-point Marner, Craig Berube has failed to utilize any different measures to try and spark his team, and seeing that both Roy and Laughton can come in and instantly impact a game makes you wonder.
How did Craig Berube get it so wrong, for so long?
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| POLL | ||
MARS 8|1159 ANSWERS Laughton and Roy score right after leaving the Maple Leafs - the Berube problem is real Do you think Craig Berube's the right fit to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 185 | 16 % |
| No | 974 | 84 % |
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