Frustrated Craig Berube Blasts His Team at Practice Ahead of Crucial Canucks Matchup
Leave it to head coach Craig Berube to use some colorful tactics to spark his team after a loss, and Saturday's practice he held nothing back.
When he was hired this summer to replace Sheldon Keefe, Leafs head coach Craig Berube was expected to bring in a new vision and strategy to a team desperate for a change. No nonsense, grit, and toughness was the name of the game now, and so far it's worked out quite well.
Toronto sits atop the Atlantic Division and have really only the Florida Panthers to worry about chasing them. With a 27-14-2 record, a revamped defense and goaltending situation, and a now healthy Auston Matthews; the future looks good.
However they did just suffer an embarrassing 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes on Thursday, and need a big bounce back game against Vancouver.
Craig Berube knows this and took the chance to make sure the team knew he wasn't messing around.
Craig Berube's Anger At Practice Trying To Motivate Maple Leafs
During Saturday's skate around ahead of their matchup with the Canucks, a few mistakes in practice led Berube to get a bit fired up:
It's not unlike Berube to use some expletives in order to get his team fired up, often seen on the bench using some choice words.
It's quite the cultural shift from Sheldon Keefe, who would often try and defuse any potential fireworks meanwhile Berube pours gasoline on the fire.
But sometimes players can get complacent and it's up to the coach to bring them back into game focus.
Toronto would be privy to listen to him too, as he's led them to great success with his style of play and as a former Stanley Cup coach; he knows how to win. With Vancouver tired after some weather delays, Berube should drill it into his players to keep the pressure on at all times.
If the team doesn't have a bounce back game though and they find themselves on the losing end once again, don't expect Berube to keep things bottled up and expect a lot more f-bombs from the Leafs bench boss.
Toronto faces Vancouver tonight at home looking to regain their momentum against a weary Canucks team. Game is scheduled to start at 7pm ET.
