How Much Better is this Team with Berube New Personnel

[thewave]

They have risen in the overall standings, I think they were about 12th or so when I made the prediction. They lost 2 in a row to fall to 10th but they were 7th just a few days ago.

TB finished 4 points behind us last season and they're only 3 points behind us as of right now. Our goal differential is +16, they're at +52, that means nothing to you and that's fine, to me. They may be a mediocre team but if that's the case then so are we. Tey've outplayed us over the last few months, Vasi is finding his form and they're a team packed with veteran players who unlike our group of cupcakes, know how to win in the playoffs.

P.S. Your predictions have been incredibly bad so don't bet too much would be my advice.

Goal diff is one of the most important indicators as far as I am concerned.

 

[ULF_55]

It's garbage day tomorrow.

I have to take out the garbage today.

I won't throw the team in until after the playoffs, but I'm not putting it on the mantle either.

They really don't make me feel any different than last year.

They just seem different, not better.

Last year: .622, +40 (end of year)
This year: .633, +16 (64 games)

 

[Gary Nylund]

I'm not much of a Vasi believer anymore, especially (for whatever reason) against the Leafs.

He's playing great whether you believe it or not.

 

[Menzinger]

It's been uneven to say the least..new guys will always be given time to adjust (and rightly so)

As a fan I'm on autopilot until game 1.od the playoffs when everything gets reset,.and then we see if a Veteran coach is able to strategize his way to the second round and beyond

 

[56 Years No Cup]

After yesterday's game, I think we can safely conclude they're not.

It's just Tanev and Stolarz that mask the underlying issues. This team is still coasting on it's talent as it was 2 years ago, 4 years ago, 6 years.

5 straight games giving up 3 unanswered (guess only 2 vs the worst team in the league).

After Pitt, they should've said "awful game, let's pump San Jose next to be #1 in the division," nope they're beating SJ until they're not as they fall asleep at the wheel like they always do. Chance for redemption vs two cup champs, horrendous showing in Vegas, can blame goaltending all you want but the team owes the goaltending after all the wins they've given them, nada. Ok onto the Avs, same thing as always another blown lead in the 3rd. And top it off with another blown 3 goal lead vs a mediocre Utah team.

This year: 6th in the league 82 points in 63 games
Last year , 9th in the league 82 points 64 games
2 years ago, 4th in the league 84 points 64 games
3 years ago, 7th in the league 83 points in 62 games
6 years ago (for simplicity sake), 4th in the league 82 points in 64 games
7 years ago, 6th in league 81 points in 63 games

Basically this team stalled in progress after their first year. Endless coaches/goalies/gms and literally the exact same result and they're still trying the same formula and talking about how we need to bring everyone back. The core is rotten and all of it should be open to be moved/changed, for all it's talent it won 2 more games in a single playoff run than Kessel's Leafs, says it all really.

This team wins the cup if Stolarz/Tanev/Knies (NOT the core) play out of their minds, otherwise expecting the core to do anything other than what they've done is insane.

Thread winner/close thread.

 

[56 Years No Cup]

It's amazing how much difference there is between last year and this year.

Just look at the numbers:

2023-2024 (82 games)
3.6 gf/g; 3.18 ga/g; 32.5 sf/g; 29.8 sa/g; 11.2 s%; .893 sv%; 16.5 blk/g; 27.8 hit/g

2024-2025 (64 games)
3.2 gf/g; 2.95 ga/g; 28.3 sf/g; 29.3 sa/g; 11.3 s%; .899 sv%; 16.1 blk/g; 23.9 hit/g

Wow isn't that something.

It's like night and day. So hard to believe. They're practically two completely different teams.

What blows me away is how much more blocking and hitting they've been doing this year.

Berube clearly has them playing a heavy hitting defensive first game. Just what you want to see for the playoffs. Stanley Cup here we come.

Keefe was such a loser.

No coach can do anything with this overpriced soft core. I'm sure you know that.

Tired of caring more about the team than the core players do

Aren't we all my brother!

 

[56 Years No Cup]

As I said early on, he will embrace the Clubhouse in time. They listened to him early as he was gruff and demanded more. His instincts as a former player and coach were correct, He eventually became absorbed, knowing what he was seeing wasn't quite right, but the team was winning so...

Now he understands fully. He has to own it and more importantly make the team own it for one another.

Is he going to create loaves and fishes too?

 

[thusk]

It's amazing how much difference there is between last year and this year.

Just look at the numbers:

2023-2024 (82 games)
3.6 gf/g; 3.18 ga/g; 32.5 sf/g; 29.8 sa/g; 11.2 s%; .893 sv%; 16.5 blk/g; 27.8 hit/g

2024-2025 (64 games)
3.2 gf/g; 2.95 ga/g; 28.3 sf/g; 29.3 sa/g; 11.3 s%; .899 sv%; 16.1 blk/g; 23.9 hit/g

Wow isn't that something.

It's like night and day. So hard to believe. They're practically two completely different teams.

What blows me away is how much more blocking and hitting they've been doing this year.

Berube clearly has them playing a heavy hitting defensive first game. Just what you want to see for the playoffs. Stanley Cup here we come.

Keefe was such a loser.

No Berube is not a heavy hitting defensive first system, it's a forechecking / battling system...

Forechecking doesn't mean hitting at all, forechecking is the process of pressuring the other team when they have the puck in their own end or in the neutral zone, with the goal of stealing the puck, causing a turnover, or slowing a fast breakout.

Battling doesn't mwan blocking shot or whatever, it's meaning focusing about winning 50/50 battle especially in front of the net

 

[GlitchMarner]

No Berube is not a heavy hitting defensive first system, it's a forechecking / battling system...

Forechecking doesn't mean hitting at all, forechecking is the process of pressuring the other team when they have the puck in their own end or in the neutral zone, with the goal of stealing the puck, causing a turnover, or slowing a fast breakout.

Battling doesn't mwan blocking shot or whatever, it's meaning focusing about winning 50/50 battle especially in front of the net

The thing I don't get is why they seem to spend so little time in the opposition's end with the puck when they employ a forechecking system that emphasizes causing turnovers and their coach wants them to work and win battles.

They actually seemed better at possessing the puck in the offensive zone under Keefe.

 

[BraveCanadian]

No Berube is not a heavy hitting defensive first system, it's a forechecking / battling system...

Forechecking doesn't mean hitting at all, forechecking is the process of pressuring the other team when they have the puck in their own end or in the neutral zone, with the goal of stealing the puck, causing a turnover, or slowing a fast breakout.

Battling doesn't mwan blocking shot or whatever, it's meaning focusing about winning 50/50 battle especially in front of the net

They don't have the horses to play a heavy forechecking system. Besides McMann and Knies.. who are they sending to the boards in the offensive zone on dump-ins or the forecheck that are going to win physical battles? Tavares as the center might get there late occasionally I guess?

Nylander is as soft as creamy butter, Marner and Robertson are stick figures, Patches is made of glass, Reeves is too slow and waived... they just don't have the personnel to play that style.

They actually seemed better at possessing the puck in the offensive zone under Keefe.

That is what all the talented players on this forward core were selected for.. Berube is trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

 

[BallardEra]

Last season after 65 games:

38-19-8 = 85 points

GF: 237
GA: 203


This season after 65 games:

39-23-3 = 81 points

GF: 208
GA: 193

 

[thusk]

The thing I don't get is why they seem to spend so little time in the opposition's end with the puck when they employ a forechecking system that emphasizes causing turnovers and their coach wants them to work and win battles.

They actually seemed better at possessing the puck in the offensive zone under Keefe.

The Berube is about forechecking to get puck back and attacking the net, so no more cycling who never ending for absolutly no result and just keep it simple and crash the net. So yeah resulting to less possession but its not a big deal

They don't have the horses to play a heavy forechecking system. Besides McMann and Knies.. who are they sending to the boards in the offensive zone on dump-ins or the forecheck that are going to win physical battles? Tavares as the center might get there late occasionally I guess?

Nylander is as soft as creamy butter, Marner and Robertson are stick figures, Patches is made of glass, Reeves is too slow and waived... they just don't have the personnel to play that style.



That is what all the talented players on this forward core were selected for.. Berube is trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

I think you don't know what's really are Berube system.

Physical battle is more in front of the net. The keefe system needed probably even more physically who was a high cycling where you was always on the board battling for puck. The fact Berube is more about crash the net, that keep thing simple and just put other D on pressure before waiting to finally lost puck in physical battle ( like it was the case with Keefe). Dump and chase, it's more about winning speed battle on dump and just working to be 1st on the puck. Its not about hitting everything and be extremely physical, its about put pressure and forcing D to make mistake and intercepting by cutting passing lane. Something marner is a great at by exemple

 

[BraveCanadian]

The Berube is about forechecking to get puck back and attacking the net, so no more cycling who never ending for absolutly no result and just keep it simple and crash the net. So yeah resulting to less possession but its not a big deal



I think you don't know what's really are Berube system.

Physical battle is more in front of the net. The keefe system needed probably even more physically who was a high cycling where you was always on the board battling for puck. The fact Berube is more about crash the net, that keep thing simple and just put other D on pressure before waiting to finally lost puck in physical battle ( like it was the case with Keefe). Dump and chase, it's more about winning speed battle on dump and just working to be 1st on the puck. Its not about hitting everything and be extremely physical, its about put pressure and forcing D to make mistake and intercepting by cutting passing lane. Something marner is a great at by exemple

I disagree and I don't think you understand the differences between how they were playing for Keefe and what Berube says he wants out of this team. The idea that you can be a heavy on the puck north-south team without having the ability to win physical battles for the puck while forechecking just doesn't add up, like, at all.

Marner is great at taking away passing lanes and intercepting and stealing pucks.. but that is a more passive forecheck than Berube is always talking about.

 

[thewave]

Last season after 65 games:

38-19-8 = 85 points

GF: 237
GA: 203


This season after 65 games:

39-23-3 = 81 points

GF: 208
GA: 193

Lotsa OT in those track meets

 

[thusk]

I disagree and I don't think you understand the differences between how they were playing for Keefe and what Berube says he wants out of this team. The idea that you can be a heavy on the puck north-south team without having the ability to win physical battles for the puck while forechecking just doesn't add up, like, at all.

Marner is great at taking away passing lanes and intercepting and stealing pucks.. but that is a more passive forecheck than Berube is always talking about.

What's your talking about is not physicality but working.

marchand is pretty good on 1v1 battle not because hes that much physical, he's one of smallest player in the NHL but his work ethic is unbelievable and make him a pretty hsrd player to play and win 1v1 battle against. I taking marchand anytime before a Mantha who one of best physical in NHL but no work ethic at all.

Berube system is about working hard, not necessairly physical game.