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

[conFABulator]

So fanboy sources. Doesn't say much if the "journalist" has no credentials. Not that it would if they did have them.

Let's just watch and see what happens.

Maybe we'll be begging to get Keefe back, but I really doubt that.

I don't know any background of any issues with this "fan boy" but the top link was based around an actual quote from Berube. It's nice to see those sentiments and philosophy from him directly in his own words.

 

[Evilhomer]

it's a bet. Now I'm going to have to find a Optimist's Anomynous chapter near me for you to donate to once you've lost the bet.........

If you want to double down on the Leafs making the conference final, my bingo card has space.

 

[rumman]

If you want to double down on the Leafs making the conference final, my bingo card has space.

Your on.

 

[Stringer Bell]

I think Matthews wins like 100% of puck battles and is near the top in hit and blocked shots among our forwards. He is a Selke Finalist...and he led the league in goals and the team in points. He has won a Hart Trophy and was in consideration this year. Three Richards.

You think his effort is lacking?

I don't think it's the craziest thing to say that sometimes he is coasting out there.

No one is out there giving 100% every shift. If they were, we wouldn't notice such a dramatic change in playoff hockey.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I think Matthews wins like 100% of puck battles and is near the top in hit and blocked shots among our forwards. He is a Selke Finalist...and he led the league in goals and the team in points. He has won a Hart Trophy and was in consideration this year. Three Richards.

You think his effort is lacking?

I can’t tell if I’m taking crazy pills or just watching a different game than some of these people. Effort wise he digs in more on D and in the little detail oriented stuff than MacK or McD, the reason those two go further in the playoffs is that they regularly 1v5 the entire other team and make plays that had no business succeeding. Matthews makes shots that have no business going in and he’ll have flashes of that 1v3 brilliance but he’s not doing it on a regular basis game in game out like the other two, that’s the entire difference. It’s not an effort thing, he just doesn’t have mutant freak of nature skating like they do.

If he could float at the blueline and be a near guarantee to bury it every time he got the outlet pass I’d rather him play rover like McD any day, someone else can block shots after the red light goes off. If you ran a full 60 minute game of a Matthews unit against one of those two, even if the Matthews unit played a flawless responsible D game, ran a perfect grinding cycle offensively, got takeaways, had blocks, made hits, did everything as perfect as you could expect, it would still take just 3 or 4 bounces where they have a single stride on you to still lose that game. That’s not on effort that’s on what the good lord gave you.

 

[Stringer Bell]

If you really believe Matthews lacks these things I question if you have ever watched him play

Yes. He is far and away the best in the league at each and every one of those things.

You're right. Realistically, there is just nothing, absolutely nothing more that Berube could get out of him.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Yes. He is far and away the best in the league at each and every one of those things.

I mean... he's at the top of those things yes

 

[Evilhomer]

Your on.

 

[ULF_55]

I can’t tell if I’m taking crazy pills or just watching a different game than some of these people. Effort wise he digs in more on D and in the little detail oriented stuff than MacK or McD, the reason those two go further in the playoffs is that they regularly 1v5 the entire other team and make plays that had no business succeeding. Matthews makes shots that have no business going in and he’ll have flashes of that 1v3 brilliance but he’s not doing it on a regular basis game in game out like the other two, that’s the entire difference. It’s not an effort thing, he just doesn’t have mutant freak of nature skating like they do.

If he could float at the blueline and be a near guarantee to bury it every time he got the outlet pass I’d rather him play rover like McD any day, someone else can block shots after the red light goes off. If you ran a full 60 minute game of a Matthews unit against one of those two, even if the Matthews unit played a flawless responsible D game, ran a perfect grinding cycle offensively, got takeaways, had blocks, made hits, did everything as perfect as you could expect, it would still take just 3 or 4 bounces where they have a single stride on you to still lose that game. That’s not on effort that’s on what the good lord gave you.

Maybe I am underrating Nylander.

 

[Leafs87]

Saw a quote recently. He wants a tough physical and fast team. We were fast at one point but getting tough and physical out of this core would be quite an accomplishment. Good luck Craig

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Saw a quote recently. He wants a tough physical and fast team. We were fast at one point but getting tough and physical out of this core would be quite an accomplishment. Good luck Craig

Not sure how Leafs play that type of game if Marner is still quarterbacking the perimiter play we endlessly see.

I remember when Matthews was drafted he was talked about as "can stick handle in a phone booth" and that's exactly what we got, what happened to that?

I'm really interested to see the team this year, genuinely.

 

[conFABulator]

I don't think it's the craziest thing to say that sometimes he is coasting out there.

No one is out there giving 100% every shift. If they were, we wouldn't notice such a dramatic change in playoff hockey.

I agree, but to say that sometimes he is coasting is bar that is too high for anyone. I think he gives as much effort as the other three or four best players in the world.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Bet on Berube loading up Toronto’s PP1 as opposed to deploying two balanced units, which he often did in St. Louis: “This power play has been very successful over the years. I know you’re going to bring up playoffs last year [when Toronto’s PP went 1-for-21]. Well, you go into dry spells. That happens to every team. It was just the wrong time for them, but that’s a very good power-play unit.”

Source Why William Nylander's experiment at centre is getting a reboot by Maple Leafs


I really don’t like this plan. Our PP has never had success in the post season. If PP1 doesn’t have a solid 1 timer from the point that will be a mistake.

PP1 needs. A solid 1 timer (OEL), AM34. And the rest of the line is the best shooters and fastest skaters: WN88, Domi. Final spot probably goes to Marner, but I’d probably put him on PP2 (last year as a Leaf, can’t shoot).

Not sure how Leafs play that type of game if Marner is still quarterbacking the perimiter play we endlessly see.

It’s his last year

 

[notbias]

I don't think it's the craziest thing to say that sometimes he is coasting out there.

No one is out there giving 100% every shift. If they were, we wouldn't notice such a dramatic change in playoff hockey.

So in the season, they are going 100% but in the playoffs, they are not?

How does this make sense?

That is the only way your sentence would make sense is if you think they give more for meaningless games.

Matthews went from 1.31PPG to 1.04PPG over the last 3 years...

This has nothing to do with facing some of the best defensive teams in the league yearly.

Faced off against:
#5
#14 as well as #21 (we won a round this year and the stars produced their best)
#6

Played a Vezina winner in all but one of those series, and Swayman is no slouch.

 

[DarkKnight]

This guy has a respect level already I never saw with Keefe. He’s commanding, already pushing an identity hard, it’s just a breath of fresh air. Keefe should have been gone last year, land Berube looks a great fit so far, based on what the players are saying, total buy in, he has the gravitas.

 

[Suntouchable13]

This guy has a respect level already I never saw with Keefe. He’s commanding, already pushing an identity hard, it’s just a breath of fresh air. Keefe should have been gone last year, land Berube looks a great fit so far, based on what the players are saying, total buy in, he has the gravitas.

We'll see, i am not sold at all. Have to see results of course. I think he will be more frustrated with this group than actually successful, but we'll see. Maybe they are more mature now, but I doubt it.

 

[rumman]

We'll see, i am not sold at all. Have to see results of course. I think he will be more frustrated with this group than actually successful, but we'll see. Maybe they are more mature now, but I doubt it.

Lets see how they respond to the game in fame iut grind Berube,s going to demand, winners never quit, quitters never win…….

 

[DarkKnight]

Lets see how they respond to the game in fame iut grind Berube,s going to demand, winners never quit, quitters never win…….

You’re such a continual downer dude. It’s September, chill.

We'll see, i am not sold at all. Have to see results of course. I think he will be more frustrated with this group than actually successful, but we'll see. Maybe they are more mature now, but I doubt it.

I like this concept of pressure the puck everywhere, north south, forcing the skill guys into the dirty areas, a hive mentality. Keefe had no control over this group, Berube has the pedigree, he has a level of respect which gives him a period to shape the team. It’s an upgrade over Keefe, no question, so optimism is realism.

 

[HockeyVirus]

We'll see, i am not sold at all. Have to see results of course. I think he will be more frustrated with this group than actually successful, but we'll see. Maybe they are more mature now, but I doubt it.

I never understood how you hate the Leafs and call them soft and overrated but have one of the softest and most over rated goalies ever to play in the NHL as your picture

 

[rumman]

You’re such a continual downer dude. It’s September, chill.


I like this concept of pressure the puck everywhere, north south, forcing the skill guys into the dirty areas, a hive mentality. Keefe had no control over this group, Berube has the pedigree, he has a level of respect which gives him a period to shape the team. It’s an upgrade over Keefe, no question, so optimism is realism.

not a downer, just a realist, who knows, they might respond positively, but you taking what I said negatively pretty much shows your not convinced, but we're all entitled to our opinions, at least for now............

 

[mapleleaf979]

Berube appears to be the perfect coach for this team right now. They need to be called out and held accountable and it appears he will do that. No more BS and disappearing acts from the top guys.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Berube appears to be the perfect coach for this team right now. They need to be called out and held accountable and it appears he will do that. No more BS and disappearing acts from the top guys.

Agree except leafs need some real cycle players

 

[rumman]

Berube appears to be the perfect coach for this team right now. They need to be called out and held accountable and it appears he will do that. No more BS and disappearing acts from the top guys.

Let’s hope this applies to the entire team and not just the plugs, Keefe ignored the shortcomings of the core and benched 4th line plugs to send a message, unfortunately that message was the entitled can do what they want with no ramifications……….

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

So after two preseason games here's what I've noticed is different so far under Berube.

Not much.

They still focus on short outlet passes to exit the zone. They'll occassionally use the stretch pass to keep defensemen on the other team honest. But for the most part it's a defender passing it to a forward, usually RW, who then carries it to about the blue line before peeling off the wall into the neutral zone.

The Leafs will dump it in a lot more than some might think for a puck possession team.

They are a good puck retrieval team. So they are ambiguous in whether they enter the zone with possession or not. Once in the zone and with possession they set up quickly looking for cross seam passes in the slot.

They have either been tied or coming from behind the whole time these first two games.

So they haven't been able.to run a trap yet. I'm curious to see if Berube will have them running a trap in the third period of games they are winning. That would be a significant break from under Keefe who just had them trying to score at all times regardless.

Otherwise it's still the same old Leafs.

 

[Gary Nylund]

This guy has a respect level already I never saw with Keefe. He’s commanding, already pushing an identity hard, it’s just a breath of fresh air. Keefe should have been gone last year, land Berube looks a great fit so far, based on what the players are saying, total buy in, he has the gravitas.

LOL.

New coach comes in, players say nice things about him. This happens about 1000 times out of 1000, if you think it means anything then you really don't have a clue.

You’re such a continual downer dude. It’s September, chill.

You're praising Berube and the season hasn't even started yet. Maybe you're the one that needs to chill.

So after two preseason games here's what I've noticed is different so far under Berube.

Not much.

They still focus on short outlet passes to exit the zone. They'll occassionally use the stretch pass to keep defensemen on the other team honest. But for the most part it's a defender passing it to a forward, usually RW, who then carries it to about the blue line before peeling off the wall into the neutral zone.

The Leafs will dump it in a lot more than some might think for a puck possession team.

They are a good puck retrieval team. So they are ambiguous in whether they enter the zone with possession or not. Once in the zone and with possession they set up quickly looking for cross seam passes in the slot.

They have either been tied or coming from behind the whole time these first two games.

So they haven't been able.to run a trap yet. I'm curious to see if Berube will have them running a trap in the third period of games they are winning. That would be a significant break from under Keefe who just had them trying to score at all times regardless.

Otherwise it's still the same old Leafs.