Sunrise – Craig Berube found herself in peace once the washer has dropped. Anticipation was the difficult part.
St. Louis Blues’ head coach guided his team on a long trip that culminated with match 7 of the Stanley Cup final against Boston Bruins on June 12, 2019.
“It’s a lot of expectations, a lot of reflection,” recalls Berube, now the boss of the Toronto Maple Leafs, recalls a memorable day when the clock sometimes had the impression of being stopped.
“I appreciate the game when it goes much more,” he added with a smile. “The game is not played throughout the day. You just have to keep everything under control and not think too much about things.
“It will come to you.”
Berube, who delivered a memorable speech from the locker room six years ago before match 7 which became viral online, hoisted the Holy Grail of hockey after the final buzzer rang that night in Boston. Although he is not quite the same challenges, he wants his current list going through the same process on Sunday.
And I hope to guarantee the same result.
The Leafs will welcome the Florida Panthers in match 7 in Scotiabank Arena after forcing the final of the winner-take-all thanks to a victory at the Gutsy 2-0 Friday.
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With his back against the wall and the knives following a ugly home defeat of 6-1 in match 5 when hoots – and a few jerseys torn from frustration – rained from the stands, Toronto replied 48 hours later in an impressive way.
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Auston Matthews marked for the first time in his career at this stage of the playoffs to break 0-0 equality in the third period of the configuration of Mitch Marner. Max Pacioretty then put an insurance objective with less than six minutes to do in settlement. Joseph Woll made 22 stops for his first post-season laundering.
The Leafs, whose recent and in the distant futility is well documented, have been left dead by large bands of a marked fans base. Now they assure a victory on the title champions of the first trip of the original franchise to the final of the Eastern Conference since 2002.
“That’s why you want to play,” said Marner about match 7 Friday evening. “Especially when you go down 3-2 in an outside building … The work will only become more difficult. I cannot be satisfied.”
Toronto, however, won only two series in 10 trials during the Matthews-Marner era despite a period of prolonged success of the regular season after a complete reconstruction started ten years ago and envisaged by the president of the Brendan Shanahan team.
A stable of offensive elite talents which includes colleagues attackers John Tavares and William Nylander has not produced much success in the playoffs, including a record of 0-5 in match 7 since 2018, with two of these losses on ice at home.
Leafs, however, are not worried about the past.
“It’s always exciting,” said Marner about match 7. “It will be great to hear the fans base. I’m sure they will be ready for us.”
Woll was unable to play during the spring defeat of spring last spring against Bruins in Boston due to an injury.
“It’s just a special opportunity for our team,” he said about Sunday. “We feel good and we know our process … just take it.”
Berube has a 2-1 file behind the bench in match 7, while the panthers opposite Paul Maurice are a perfect 5-0, including the triumph of the last season cup on the Oilers of Edmonton.
“They are free,” said Maurice about a competition where a team has certainly returned home. “All the energy you have obtained without worry of tomorrow.”
Berube said the approach should be simple – like the Leafs of Match 6.
“It means a lot for everyone,” he said. “All the people I knew while growing up, they always dreamed of a match 7 … Everything is at stake.”
The countdown is on.
“I can’t wait,” said Pacioretty. “We are going to war.”
This Canadian press report was published for the first time on May 17, 2025.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press