Ottawa – David Perron has a case that has already seen.
Ottawa Senators winger won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 when head coach Craig Berube called the gunshots.
A hard, north-south and competitive nose approach to all time has helped this group overcome a disastrous start to the season and finally hoked the Holy Grail of hockey.
Berube seemed to leave a similar brand on the Toronto Maple Leafs during his first season in charge of a talented list with many scars in default qualifying series.
Senators quickly discovered that this iteration of their provincial rival is different – and Perron sees the fingerprints of Berube everywhere.
Toronto has a 3-0 footprint on Ottawa in the series of playoffs to the best of the seven team teams. The Battle of Ontario began with a 6-2 eruption of the night before a pair of decisions of 3-2 in overtime with thin margins like razors.
“I see a lot of similarities,” said Perron on Friday morning at the Canadian Blues and Leaves tire center. “Sometimes they have a shooting track and they drive the washer a little more deeply. They delay, they hang on it.”
This level of composure is another area than Berube, which was dismissed in Saint-Louis last season and hired by Toronto in May, has preached since his arrival in town.
“The match may not take place all the time,” said Berube. “You may not think you have the washer enough. But we are patient, we continue to do our work defensive and check … Then it finally happens a little and you get your opportunities.”
Related videos
This is a great reason why Toronto has had an advance in the 3-0 series for the first time since 2001 and is a 16-2-1 handset in his last 19 regular and qualifiers.
“There will be breakdowns,” said Berube. “The additional effort that is necessary – the second and third effort you need – I think we have a lot.”
Get national news
For news that has an impact on Canada and worldwide, register for the safeguarding of news alerts that are delivered to you directly when they occur.
A major problem in the setbacks of the playoffs, the leaf power play went 5 for 9 this spring, while the penalty was stable and goalkeeper Anthony Stolarz has a safeguard percentage of .926.
“So fun to be part of this group,” said Toronto defender Brandon Carlo, acquired from Boston’s Bruins before the NHL trade deadline. “When we make mistakes, everyone will pick it up. Everyone works together. The process was really great. The camaraderie was great.
“This group is special.”
The 3-0 teams in the NHL’s series of NHL qualifying series at the best of seven had a record of all time 207-4, but the senators striker Claude Giroux was part of an outfit of Philadelphia flyers who released this hole to beat Boston in seven games in 2010.
“What does history say?” Perron asked with a little smile. “Not great, but we’re going to try to shoot this day at the same time. It’s the only way to focus.”
The leafs certainly do not want to give the senators a life. Toronto launched a 3-1 advance to Montreal Canadians in a devastating first round defeat in 2021, and understands the energy that a group can obtain from a few victories after forcing match 7 against Bruins last spring after following 3-1.
“It’s always a work in progress,” said Blueliner Morgan Rielly. “We haven’t prevented ourselves from anything.”
The oldest member on the list added that the style Berube installed in training has not changed much since the calendar turned to the playoffs.
“We are trying to build our game,” said Rielly. “We have areas on which we try to concentrate. The guys feel quite comfortable, so we are moving. ”
It is by design.
“This is the mentality that you have to build throughout the season to reach this level,” said Berube. “If you don’t do it during the regular season, it is difficult to light the switch. I really wanted to pass this identity to our team right away.”
He was questioned about Perron by comparing the blues six years ago to the current Leafs. The teams have different skills – St. Louis brushed opponents in the submission, Toronto has more high -end talents – but he agreed that there are parallels.
“The players are buying what you want to do,” said Berube. “Our players have done a good job of buying this. But there are similarities in the style of play, it is certain, that we played in St Louis.”
Perron lived it with first hand. Now he witnesses Berube’s influence from another point of view – and not to take advantage of the view.
“I see things that put me in my head,” he said. “And I know where it comes from.”
This Canadian press report was published for the first time on April 25, 2025.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press