Toronto – Craig Berube arrived in town with a plan.
The head coach winner of the Stanley Cup was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs last spring to change the way a gifted group with great success of the regular season – and a lot of pain in the playoffs – has done his duties.
Berube preached a direct and defensive responsible and North-South approach on the first day of the training camp when a franchise with a victory in a series in the NHL wage ceiling era recognized in September.
The message seems to have landed. This does not mean that there is no more fine adjustment with post-season hockey just on the horizon.
Toronto held a very followed optional skate before flying south for the road matches on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning which will greatly help to decide the title of the Atlantic division.
The Leafs, which led lightning of four points and were six on the panthers with a match in hand before the action on Monday, can practically lock the crown of division with a pair of victories.
Their overall performance with six competitions left on the calendar, however, is the place where Berube’s attention is located.
“We just want to continue playing good hockey and coherent hockey,” he told the club’s training center. “The results are results. You have to focus on the process. “
Berube, who raised the cup with the Blues of St. Louis in 2019 and was a hard executor like the Nails during his play days, has a lot of offensive horses on a list led by Star attackers Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares.
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The regular season score was not a problem for Toronto. The problem for past iterations occurred in the playoffs when the defenses stiffen, the whistles of the referees blow less frequently and that the 5 -compared offensive is more difficult to generate.
“Put the team first in all aspects,” said Matthews about the new standard. “Doing things in the right way, whatever the situation or what the game brings.”
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Berube liked the way his players remained patient during recent outings before weakening and taking control in the third period as part of a sequence of four consecutive victories.
“This is very important for our hockey team,” he said. “We have to continue to push, to play intelligently, to check, not to open the game, not to force the washers, to make good rings decisions.”
The Leafs (47-25-4), who saw 12 different players evaluated the fight majors this season to equalize the head of the League, have points in their last six games (5-0-1) before Tuesday’s match against the Panthers (44-29-4).
The defending champions of the Cup are on a slide of five games (0-4-1), including a 3-2 defeat in Toronto last Wednesday, and are third in the division-only two points on the Senators of Ottawa in Chargé.
Florida is without a star attack Matthew Tkachuk (lower body injury) and defender Aaron Ekblad (suspension), while Captain Aleksander Barkov (upper body injury) missed the last three games.
“They have better guys,” said Toronto winger Matthew Knies. “They have always played a big match against us … It was a difficult battle.
“I’m sure they are impatient.”
Leafs, on the other hand, feel the same with regard to what Berube has preached with regard to structure, tenacity and communication.
“It’s about winning,” said Matthews. “This is the time of year when you really want to complete your game and play with confidence and enter the post-season shots on all cylinders.”
Berube has seen a list ready to kiss his gospel as soon as the door has been crossed.
But for all the success that has resulted in a 98 -point outing to date, these leafs remain far from a finished product.
“It takes a lot of time to break habits,” said Berube. “There will always be situations where we have to make them go back and put them on the right side of things.”
Ovi time
Alex Ovechkin scored the 895th goal of the regular season of his NHL career on Sunday to spend Wayne Gretzky and sit at the top of the list of all time in the League.
“The physical player, the great player, the head of the gang, the blow, scored him from the goals,” said Berube about Washington Capitals winger. “You don’t see many of these guys throughout your career, and he definitely makes one, if not the best.”
Vlad he remains
Matthews got to know the third third goal player from Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and was happy to learn that the Slugger will remain in Toronto after Word Broke, he signed a $ 500 million contract extension of $ 500 million
“Incredible player,” said Matthews. “It’s pretty cool to have a guy like him wrapped up.”
This Canadian press report was published for the first time on April 7, 2025.
Note to readers: this is a corrected version of a previous story. He corrects that Toronto has points in six games from the regular Stryment Gamessix season, not seven.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press