Craig Berube Named the 32nd Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs

[Martin Skoula]

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.

Is skill guys in the dirty areas something we were lacking? I would imagine our skill guys not putting up offense was the bigger issue, I don’t recall McDrai blocking too many shots or playing tentative overcautious games last postseason.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Berube after seeing how much work he's got ahead of him:

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I am not crazy about Berube being the coach of this team. I don’t think he is the right guy.

Lol

This is a MTL fan's burner account.

Keep on keeping on...

 

[Leafsfan74]

I am not crazy about Berube being the coach of this team. I don’t think he is the right guy.

It has never been about coaching, it has been about personnel and profits-only ownership.

You're not going to win a Cup with this team and cap structure, period. I don't care who coaches them. Two years ago they had the best team they were going to ice in the playoffs and Florida laughed them out of the post-season.

Berubes biggest achievement will need to be executed in this first year if and when he demands and incorporates a playoff-style game. Reminds media what the goal is without apology. "If the players don't become that team, the players will be replaced".

If I were to be my most optimistic for this team, the one outside chance for MAYBE a final four in a perfect season would be airtight D, a commitment to dirty goals and a surprise goalie running hot.

When this year ends without a Cup, and it will, in then offseason, Leafs will have no other excuse than to shed a great amount of salary and upgrade with the right types. Shanny will be gone by then as well, perhaps his own hubris of keeping the core together will finally be leaked (unless it was someone else stupidity).

They should have broke up the core after the loss the Habs. When they didn't, it was clear that the fans were chasing rainbows. You can bring Toe Blake back from the grave and he won't win a Cup. with this bunch.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I am not crazy about Berube being the coach of this team. I don’t think he is the right guy.

The problem with the Leafs

The Core
Babcock
Keefe
Berube

so your big idea to fix the Leafs is to get rid of Berube.

My suggestion: try again.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

The biggest difference I've seen under Berube is they lock it down in the third now.

Go into a defensive shell and run a trap. Instead of playing all loosey goosey the whole game like they did under Keefe. It also looks like they went back to standard zone defense instead of that weird man on man defense they tried running last year.

Other than that I can't see the difference can you see the difference.

It's still a 1-2-2 forecheck for the most part. They were already hitting a lot more last year so I don't expect a huge increase in physicality. I guess Nylander at centre would be a pretty big change if it actually lasts this time.

There hasn't been a lot of opportunity to hold anyone accountable yet.

So we might see some improvement in that regards. I just hope Kampf and Liljegren aren't the only ones to get benched. Everyone on the team should be held to the same standard.

If accountabilty is the only thing Berube accomplishes this year that would be a massive achievement all on it's own.

 

[Da Mash]

A new voice is always good. Berube scheme is a bit different than Keefers. More north -south.

We may have less puck possession minutes but we may be better defensively because the puck is going off the boards more.

In the end.....its always about the players. Hopefully they embrace this system and respect Berube as their coach. He is a players coach and not some tyrant.
I just hope he gives players their due. If a younger player outplays a vet. Then the younger player should play. Keefer was always hard on younger players while he turned a blind eye towards others when they under performed.

Lets see how the lineup is at the start of the season.

 

[thusk]

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.

the biggest difference is playing faster. More agressive on forecheck, forcing mistake, attack the net

under Keefe it was all about possession game. Enter in control of the puck, cycling with the puck unstead you've got something open.

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.

What are you talking about?!?!?! The entire keefe system defensively was a trap especially with a lead. When you don't put pressure or just at 1 and waiting with 4 or 5 player in neutral zone... its a trap and thats exactly what's Toronto did all the time under Keefe and even more come playoff time.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

the biggest difference is playing faster. More agressive on forecheck, forcing mistake, attack the net

under Keefe it was all about possession game. Enter in control of the puck, cycling with the puck unstead you've got something open.




What are you talking about?!?!?! The entire keefe system defensively was a trap especially with a lead. When you don't put pressure or just at 1 and waiting with 4 or 5 player in neutral zone... its a trap and thats exactly what's Toronto did all the time under Keefe and even more come playoff time.

They ran a 1-2-2 forecheck under Keefe same as they run under Berube.

Even strength play for the Leafs under Keefe revolved around creating high chance opportunities off the rush with a steady forecheck and set breakouts. The breakouts consisted of short outlet passes between forwards as they exited the zone. They moved together as a unit and pulled off the wall into centre ice inside the neutral zone to give them more entry options.

When the puck is in deep behind the opponents goal line they will run a 2-1-2.

The only time they ran a trap under Keefe was during line changes when they would run a 1-1-3. Otherwise for the most part they played a standard 1-2-2 even late in games where they held a lead. In Keefe's mind the best defense is a good offense.

They were looking to run up the score at all times.

The penalty kill was a wedge+1, and the powerplay was a 1-3-1, same as under Berube so far. The forwards are capable of springing a rush off a turnover so are aggressive on the special teams. They hem the opponents into their own zone for extended periods of time and that's why they have such extreme possession stats.

Once inside the oppositions zone they set up as quickly as possible looking for cross seam passes in the slot and that's why their expected goals stats are so good.

That's what I saw anyway. But I'm no coach and I'm certainly not an expert. So I can be open minded to them playing a trap under Keefe.

I just didn't notice it I guess...

 

[Its not your fault]

I am not crazy about Berube being the coach of this team. I don’t think he is the right guy.

Better or worse than Keefe?

 

[Its not your fault]

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

Sure

 

[Roo]

Evaluating team performance right now is pointless. We aren’t even playing regular season games yet.

 

[34]

The

Better or worse than Keefe?

The jury is still out.

 

[puckeater]

The

The jury is still out.

But they’re quickly reaching a concensus. Old, old school coaching mentality. We’ll see how it turns out. It’s a large carrousel of coaches in the off season.

 

[Roo]

I'll repost this because it made me happy to read:


"Berube's suffocating system took a stranglehold on the rest of the league. The Blues became a heavy hockey team that made opponents fight for every inch of the ice and did not allow for easy passage through the neutral zone. Not only did the Blues find their scoring touch, but their forechecking became a widely superior strength over anyone else in the NHL, increasing their offensive-zone time and not allowing teams to rush up the ice."

Does this sound familiar? We are starting to see this same transition in our team, even though it’s so early. We’re only a few games into the season but the way this team is playing is night and day different.

For those that thought a coaching change wouldn’t make a difference because they’re not on the ice - now you know.

Obviously this is early and playoff success is what matters, but right now Berube hockey is better for my blood pressure

 

[DarkKnight]

Does this sound familiar? We are starting to see this same transition in our team, even though it’s so rarely. We’re only a few games into the season but the way this team is playing is night and day different.

For those that thought a coaching change wouldn’t make a difference because they’re not on the ice - now you know.

Obviously this is early and playoff success is what matters, but right now Berube hockey is better for my blood pressure

Good find!

 

[Kazparov]

One thing is immediately apparent. He is building a system for four lines. For the entire team to play.

It was clear that Keefe had a system and style designed to maximize the potential of the core. We all know how that turned out.

It's early but I'm a big fan of what I'm seeing so far.

Matthew's on the PK makes a lot of sense to me. I wonder if he went to him and said you can score 60 plus goals or you can be the best all-around player in the world. What do you want?

 

[ACC1224]

One thing is immediately apparent. He is building a system for four lines. For the entire team to play.

It was clear that Keefe had a system and style designed to maximize the potential of the core. We all know how that turned out.

It's early but I'm a big fan of what I'm seeing so far.

Matthew's on the PK makes a lot of sense to me. I wonder if he went to him and said you can score 60 plus goals or you can be the best all-around player in the world. What do you want?

It does look like his intent is to lean heavily on Matthews and Marner in all situations.
He wouldn't be the first coach to look to his best players to carry the lions share of the load.

Hopefully they won't burn out by seasons end.

 

[Roo]

That is a really good point. He's giving a lot more opportunity to other players and finding ways to keep them all engaged in the game, leading to better distribution of ice time. Matthews and Marner are actually around the same ATOI, or slightly under last year.

 

[AvroArrow]

It does look like his intent is to lean heavily on Matthews and Marner in all situations.
He wouldn't be the first coach to look to his best players to carry the lions share of the load.

Hopefully they won't burn out by seasons end.

I think it's gonna be great for their development as players, having Matthews PK for 82 games is gonna translate to a more successful game in the playoffs.

Kopitar, Datsyuk, Bergeron etc. these guys all PKd for their teams, same with Hossa/Marchand, guys who were considered elite 2 way players.

I think they'll be a lot more comfortable in tight situations in the playoffs, if they play all 82 like this.

 

[Delete1]

Like I said, he will win coach of the year this season.

 

[Leafs87]

One thing is immediately apparent. He is building a system for four lines. For the entire team to play.

It was clear that Keefe had a system and style designed to maximize the potential of the core. We all know how that turned out.

It's early but I'm a big fan of what I'm seeing so far.

Matthew's on the PK makes a lot of sense to me. I wonder if he went to him and said you can score 60 plus goals or you can be the best all-around player in the world. What do you want?

Agreed. This decision seems to be the right one for hiring Berube.

I am not sure the conversation with Matthews would have went positively lol, but I agree with the rest of your post.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Like I said, he will win coach of the year this season.

which is great because to get that he'll need cup final or cup as an end result.

 

[Sypher04]

I am not sure the conversation with Matthews would have went positively lol, but I agree with the rest of your post.

I don’t see any reason to think it wouldn’t have gone positively

 

[1specter]

Like I said, he will win coach of the year this season.

I think ironically Keefe will win, because the Jack Adams generally favours the best 'bounceback' stories. NJ was shit last year and injury riddled with no goaltending, this year they've got goaltending and if they stay healthy they likely win the division with Keefe.