Craig Berube loses the plot by throwing Joseph Woll under the bus after a useless OT point
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Craig Berube sparked William Nylander's scoring touch before the game and threw Joseph Woll under the bus after it - Toronto needed to lose in regulation and didn't but Berube's comments show he's lost the plot.
As the Maple Leafs took the ice on Friday night, they had one goal to accomplish which was to lose the game in regulation. While they did suffer a loss, it was William Nylander who tied things and brought it to the extra frame where Toronto gave up another crucial point in the standings.
Two strikes against Berube in one game is a surefire red flag
Craig Berube seemed to have sparked Nylander's scoring touch and while that would have been great 40 games ago; it's useless now.
But while he was building up Nylander prior to the game, he was just as keen to dismantle Joseph Woll after it. Speaking to reporters after the game, Berube was fairly peeved at Woll's inability to make a save in OT despite his solid play:
He's played well, but tonight in the end -- I don't think, I know -- we need a save, whether it's the OT or it's one of the breakaways. We need a big save there.
Craig, your team gave up two breakaway opportunities shorthanded. Unless Woll was skating all over the ice himself trying to quarterback the PP, there's no reason the defense should be that porous to let not one, but two chances happen.
Woll made 32 saves and looked lights out at times, so it's unsure why Berube has decided to essentially throw him under the bus after the game.
His pride has overtaken his logic, and he doesn't seem to care about the team knowing he's likely out the door. We've all thought Brad Treliving was a lame-duck, but it's Berube causing a lot of damage right now.
The only way to save the Maple Leafs is by firing Craig Berube
So, Berube isn't a bad coach. This much is objective, considering he won a Stanley Cup. But he's a bad coach in the modern era and even the game back in 2019 was a much different one than the current model.
Stop, go, north, south...it's mindless. Toronto dumps the puck, can't forecheck to save their lives, then gets caught for two minutes in their own zone. That leads to them getting tired and a lot more prime chances for the opposition.
While a lot of that has to do with the roster selection, Berube plays a huge part in that. He and Treliving are building the roster, and he is lacking any real tool to help motivate his players.
Auston Matthews wants to see a plan, and it feels like for some reason the jury's still out on keeping him so the status quo is less a plan and more a death sentence when it comes to keeping Matthews past 2028.
Hiring someone who cannot only develop players like Easton Cowan, Nick Robertson, and Jacob Quillan but also rekindle the spark that Matthews had before Craig Berube neutered him; that's a massive leap forward.
Word around town is that Peter DeBoer is ready to make an NHL comeback, and someone as successful, driven, and knowledgeable as him can certainly turn the team's fortunes around in a hurry.
But without getting rid of Craig Berube first, the team is still spinning their wheels and going to make things a lot harder for themselves heading into next year.
he just proved why Toronto can't rely on him. He sparked a useless win, blamed his top goaltender, and managed to lose the Maple Leafs another point.
Three strikes, you're out.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 21|1107 ANSWERS Craig Berube loses the plot by throwing Joseph Woll under the bus after a useless OT point Has Craig Berube fallen out of touch with the Maple Leafs plan? | ||
| Yes | 1014 | 91.6 % |
| No | 93 | 8.4 % |
| List of polls | ||