Toronto Maple Leafs coach Berube calls out a specific team weakness
Early in the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t exactly looked like their best selves so far.
They’ve won seven of 13 games, but put up an even 47 goals for and 47 goals against, sticking just one point ahead of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins was perhaps the best encapsulation of Toronto’s season: they skated away with a tight victory, but the journey was probably much harder than the Leafs needed to make it.
Toronto fell behind 3-0 in the second period, before four third period goals led to the unlikely comeback.
“This happens throughout the season, and it is a good comeback win, right? The guys played in the third and did what they were capable of doing. They came back and won the game. That’s a good feeling,” Leafs coach Craig Berube told reporters postgame.
Toronto’s comeback was led by two likely forces, with William Nylander scoring twice and Auston Matthews also finding the net. It was Bobby McMann, however, who scored the game-winning goal with a little under seven minutes remaining in the third.
“You have to understand that you are going to get down in this league at times by a couple of goals or whatever — bounces and whatever else happens. It is the response that is needed to get back in the game,” Berube added.
But despite the win being a big two points for the team and a fun night for the fans, the process wasn’t exactly great. Toronto mustered up just 20 shots on net, including a paltry five in the first period and just three in the second period.
“Now, we got the response in the third. I don’t understand why we didn’t get it right away in the second. That’s the frustrating part,” Berube added. “It’s all mental for me. It’s all mental for me. It has to be better. It’s the bottom line.”
The Leafs are right back on home ice tomorrow, taking on the Utah Mammoth at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.
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