Confirmed with Link: Craig Berube named the 32nd Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs

[notbias]

That kid in St. Louis kicked Berube on his way out and the whole city turned on him so he started crying to make people feel bad. The older players like Schenn and ROR like Berube but these new school kids don't like him. Guess which type of player we have in Toronto.

ROR also seems to love Marner, assuming you are a big fan of Marner's because of this?

 

[1specter]

That kid in St. Louis kicked Berube on his way out and the whole city turned on him so he started crying to make people feel bad. The older players like Schenn and ROR like Berube but these new school kids don't like him. Guess which type of player we have in Toronto.

Don't think it has anything to do with new school vs old school, sometimes certain players just don't mesh with coaches. The Bruins players for example reportedly didn't want to play for Cassidy anymore after 2022, and Cassidy being fired was a driver of a respected veteran like Krejci coming back for another round, and Bergeron playing another season as well. Cassidy won a Cup in 2023, so clearly he can still coach, sometimes the message just gets stale.

 

[Maple Leaf]

I am not sure babcock and then keefe and now gberuge will ffix the marner cononundrom

 

[Mess]

Does Berube strike you as the type to even take the job if that were the case?

Former Leafs coach Dallas Eakins gives Craig Berube his seal of approval, reveals why he thinks Berube will help push the Leafs further than ever before.​

Eakins coached in the Leafs' organization from 2005-2013 before leaving to join the Edmonton Oilers and then the Anaheim Ducks. Recently, he was on 'Leafs Morning Take' and discussed the hiring of Craig Berube and why he thinks bringing in Berube was a great decision.​

"With Chief coming in, I thought that was a great hire. That is a Stanley Cup-winning coach. There's no BS, no tip-toeing around any issues with Chief - he hits him head-on.

I know the passion of that Toronto market. It's either win or bust, it's either parade or doom, that's just how that market is. This is why I love Chief there. Chief is not going to give a crap about what anybody is thinking."​

 

[Lightsol]

"He changed nothing"

"He changed our lineup by inserting Brodie when things weren't working"

Not sure I am following the logic.

He changed plenty, maybe you just don't agree with the changes.

You're putting words in my mouth for some reason. I didn't say he changed nothing; I said he was resistent to change, and THAT becomes obvious when you actually pay attention and notice that if he made big lineup changes, he'd almost alwayis revert them a few games later. He had certain combinations he'd always revert to no matter what.

 

[notbias]

You're putting words in my mouth for some reason. I didn't say he changed nothing; I said he was resistent to change, and THAT becomes obvious when you actually pay attention and notice that if he made big lineup changes, he'd almost alwayis revert them a few games later. He had certain combinations he'd always revert to no matter what.

So he is resistant to change, but would make changes and then change them again.... so he was changing things too much....

I am not following the logic.

Once again, seems like you just don't like the changes he made.

Switching from A to B is a change.
Switching back to B from A is also a change.

If A was working better than B, this is a logical thing to do.

Hopefully, this clears things up.

 

[Lightsol]

So he is resistant to change, but would make changes and then change them again.... so he was changing things too much....

I am not following the logic.

Once again, seems like you just don't like the changes he made.

Switching from A to B is a change.
Switching back to B from A is also a change.

If A was working better than B, this is a logical thing to do.

Hopefully, this clears things up.

Yeah, if you consider driving forward two blocks and driving forward a block and then in reverse for a block covering the same amount of distance.
It shouldn't have taken parts of multiple years to determine that Muzzin-Holl was NOT working, and it shouldn't have taken most of last season to see that Brodie needed his ice time chopped BADLY.

 

[notbias]

Yeah, if you consider driving forward two blocks and driving forward a block and then in reverse for a block covering the same amount of distance.
It shouldn't have taken parts of multiple years to determine that Muzzin-Holl was NOT working, and it shouldn't have taken most of last season to see that Brodie needed his ice time chopped BADLY.

Muzzin-Holl was a great pairing for a long time, an absolutely atrocious example.

I'd reverse a block if I was going the wrong way... good analogy.

So, in both scenarios something was working for a long time, it stopped working, and change was made, just not quick enough for you.

Once again, your logic doesn't seem to be working.

 

[ULF_55]

Has Berube already lost the room?

I can only see 1 player that might have to adjust.

 

[egd27]

Outside of that year, his coaching record is pretty bad.

Yea, unlike Keefe who outside of repeated playoff disasters, his coaching record was pretty good

 

[notbias]

Yea, unlike Keefe who outside of repeated playoff disasters, his coaching record was pretty good

Well, Berube looks terrible in comparison to Keefe in every full season he coached.

0.343 vs 0.434 in the playoffs

I voiced a concern about his best season being the season he didn't get to coach the team as much as his other seasons, we shall see.

Maybe he is here for a couple of seasons, is good, and then leaves, it seems like things go south quickly with him (obviously can be a combination of things).

 

[LaPlante94]

Well, Berube looks terrible in comparison to Keefe in every full season he coached.

0.343 vs 0.434 in the playoffs

I voiced a concern about his best season being the season he didn't get to coach the team as much as his other seasons, we shall see.

Maybe he is here for a couple of seasons, is good, and then leaves, it seems like things go south quickly with him (obviously can be a combination of things).

Yeah I'm sure that has nothing to do with his GM gutting that team and Buchnevich being the only good player he got to replace them all.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Can anybody tell me anything tangible about Berube's system.

Explain it to me like I'm a three year old child lacking in understanding. Because I don't have a clue what system we're talking about. All I keep hearing is North-South with a commitment to defense.

What does that even mean.

Do the breakouts focus on stretch passes instead of skating the puck out? Will they run a trap in the dying minutes of a 3-2 game? Are defensemen no longer rushing the puck or pinching every other play?

I just hope whatever Berube's system is the players shut the hell up and play it.

These coach killers took control of the locker room when the wimpy butt kisser was here. Now that someone with a spine is in charge these guys should be put into place proper. If they want to be successful the whole team needs to buy into whatever the hell it is Berube is selling.

It doesn't matter what system he's using if the players refuse to execute on it.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Would really like us to beat bottom 5 teams this year

 

[Roo]

Can anybody tell me anything tangible about Berube's system.

Explain it to me like I'm a three year old child lacking in understanding. Because I don't have a clue what system we're talking about. All I keep hearing is North-South with a commitment to defense.

What does that even mean.

Do the breakouts focus on stretch passes instead of skating the puck out? Will they run a trap in the dying minutes of a 3-2 game? Are defensemen no longer rushing the puck or pinching every other play?

I just hope whatever Berube's system is the players shut the hell up and play it.

These coach killers took control of the locker room when the wimpy butt kisser was here. Now that someone with a spine is in charge these guys should be put into place proper. If they want to be successful the whole team needs to buy into whatever the hell it is Berube is selling.

It doesn't matter what system he's using if the players refuse to execute on it.

Quick puck movement, high pace, heavy forecheck… similar to the panthers style of play. Your examples (stretch pass vs carry puck) aren’t systems, I am sure players will make those calls based on what they see on the ice.

Most importantly, it’s not the heavy puck possession game that imo lead to predictability with the offence. Players will be expected to make quick decisions to move the puck fast, which should very much benefit us in the playoffs

 

[IPS]

Can anybody tell me anything tangible about Berube's system.

Explain it to me like I'm a three year old child lacking in understanding. Because I don't have a clue what system we're talking about. All I keep hearing is North-South with a commitment to defense.

What does that even mean.

Do the breakouts focus on stretch passes instead of skating the puck out? Will they run a trap in the dying minutes of a 3-2 game? Are defensemen no longer rushing the puck or pinching every other play?

I just hope whatever Berube's system is the players shut the hell up and play it.

These coach killers took control of the locker room when the wimpy butt kisser was here. Now that someone with a spine is in charge these guys should be put into place proper. If they want to be successful the whole team needs to buy into whatever the hell it is Berube is selling.

It doesn't matter what system he's using if the players refuse to execute on it.

Never watched the Blues in 2019?

 

[Hellcat]

Has Berube already lost the room?

I can only see 1 player that might have to adjust.

If this is the case, you may want to get your vision checked

 

[egd27]

If he can get them to execute simple fundamentals with an attention to detail, it would likely mean another 6 to 8 points in the regular season, and a much better chance of playoff success.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Never watched the Blues in 2019?

I watched them in the finals and that was about it.

I didn't pick them to win it all so unless they were playing one of the teams I follow I didn't see them much until the finals. Five years is a very long time in the world of professional sports. And that Blues team was built a lot differently thsn this Leafs team.

There's a very good chance that what worked there then won't work here now and if Berube can't adjust quickly this whole thing will blow up.

 

[Hellcat]

Can anybody tell me anything tangible about Berube's system.

Explain it to me like I'm a three year old child lacking in understanding. Because I don't have a clue what system we're talking about. All I keep hearing is North-South with a commitment to defense.

What does that even mean.

Do the breakouts focus on stretch passes instead of skating the puck out? Will they run a trap in the dying minutes of a 3-2 game? Are defensemen no longer rushing the puck or pinching every other play?

I just hope whatever Berube's system is the players shut the hell up and play it.

These coach killers took control of the locker room when the wimpy butt kisser was here. Now that someone with a spine is in charge these guys should be put into place proper. If they want to be successful the whole team needs to buy into whatever the hell it is Berube is selling.

It doesn't matter what system he's using if the players refuse to execute on it.

Under Keefe they were heavily focused on possession, mainly because if you have the puck the other team does not and in theory it should generate less chances for the other team and should give you more offensive chances. Berube is more risk tolerant than Keefe, he will want his team to push play and be aggressive on the forecheck. On paper and if healthy, he should have a better defence core than Keefe, OEL, Hakkinpa (if he signs) and Tanev all move the puck really well and all get back the puck really well, in theory that should mean forwards will spend less time in their own end but the team will probably give up more "one of" grade A opportunities but less sustained pressure in our own end. He's an effort coach, he wont tolerate Nylander's flybys, he wont tolerate Marner's long shifts, Every player is expected to play a certain way, no matter if they are behind or ahead. I think Rielly will be paired with Tanev which should allow Rielly to be more offence first. He's not terribly loyal to one goalie, he will go with the hot hand. Entitlement is out the window, AM scoring 69 means nothing, Mitch pacing for a 100 points the last two year means nothing, Willie scoring 40+ means nothing under Berube.

I get the sense certain players will try to see where the boundaries are and act like they did under Keefe. I think the energy, heart and soul, fox hole guys like Tanev, Domi and Robertson will thrive under Berube. I think guys like Marner and Nylander will need to grow emotionally to succeed under Berube. In the car world there is a term, Garage Queen, I see Marner and Nylander as hockey's equivalent. There will be no Garage Queen's under Berube.

If he can get them to execute simple fundamentals with an attention to detail, it would likely mean another 6 to 8 points in the regular season, and a much better chance of playoff success.

This is who Berube is, his teams play the same style ahead or behind, which means has to have players who show discipline and maturity.

 

[Hellcat]

There's a very good chance that what worked there then won't work here now and if Berube can't adjust quickly this whole thing will blow up.

TBH I'm not on the Berube fan bus, I wanted Coach Q. Berube is the guy we got so I'm hoping for the best.

 

[Roo]

There's a very good chance that what worked there then won't work here now and if Berube can't adjust quickly this whole thing will blow up.

True, or it can be the driving force behind us finally going deep in the playoffs. The Leafs brass very likely considered all this when they hired him. If they didn’t think it would improve the team I can’t see how they make this call.

My perspective on this is that it will take some time for players to adjust and the results show. They will be building up throughout the season imo.

 

[Evilhomer]

Quick puck movement, high pace, heavy forecheck… similar to the panthers style of play. Your examples (stretch pass vs carry pick) aren’t systems, I am sure players will make those calls based on what they see on the ice.

Most importantly, it’s not the heavy puck possession game that imo lead to predictability with the offence. Players will be expected to make quick decisions to move the puck fast, which should very much benefit us in the playoffs

I expect the obsession with puck possession that often leads to dead plays to finally stop.

 

[Sypher04]

If he can get them to execute simple fundamentals with an attention to detail, it would likely mean another 6 to 8 points in the regular season, and a much better chance of playoff success.

Not having the worst goaltending in the league though the first half of the season also could mean another 6-8 points gained.

We will see how things play out in the end but between graduating and progressing youth, as well as changes to D, G and coaching changes this team has the potential to be pretty significantly better than last year. Realistically not everything will work out but I’m pretty optimistic overall.

This is most balanced team we’ve had in the Matthews era imo

I believe adjustments to the forward group will come as well before the trade deadline.

 

[ULF_55]

If this is the case, you may want to get your vision checked

There was a small number who were handled with kid .gloves