Craig Berube Absolutely Glazes Leafs' 2nd Line After Dominant, 10-Point Night Against Flyers
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Craig Berube made sure to pump the tires of the Leafs' high-powered second line of John Tavares, William Nylander and Bobby McMann after a 10-point night vs. Flyers.
Following a disastrous loss on Saturday, head coach Craig Berube called out the mountain of mistakes made by his team.
Some may have thought it was just a post-game rant from the Leafs' bench boss, but he made sure the message stuck during an intense practice on Monday.
Monday's practice also saw him promote Bobby McMann back into the top-six alongside Nylander and Tavares. The reunited second line didn't take long to find chemistry and reward Berube for his decision on Tuesday.
The trio combined for 5 goals and 10 points with Nylander and Tavares each posting 2 goals and 2 assists. Following the game, Berube explained why McMann got the opportunity.
"It just adds so much speed and strength to the line. He is a big, strong guy who can skate. He seems like he is always on the puck. He creates battles for those guys... He quietly goes about his business. You get pretty consistent play out of him in terms of what he needs to do to be successful. He does a lot of things right every game. They go unnoticed a lot of times."
Nylander, who 'is doing what he is paid to do', scoring his 40th of the season, Berube was also quick to credit his defensive play and transition game before praising the group as a whole.
"Tonight, the goals are one thing, but for me, he checked really well. He was on top of things. He backchecked, broke plays up, and then transitioned from defense to offense....When they get the puck, they can obviously make plays; Johnny can score. They have been effective for us since we put them together. I have been happy with them."
Hopefully, the reunited trio is able to continue to ride this burst of offense into the playoffs, where the Leafs typically struggle. For now though, Berube and fans alike will just enjoy the ride.
| POLL | ||
MARS 26 | 3665 ANSWERS Craig Berube Absolutely Glazes Leafs' 2nd Line After Dominant, 10-Point Night Against Flyers Will the McMann-Tavares-Nylander line be able to carry the offense into the playoffs? | ||
| No, lightning in a bottle | 347 | 9.5 % |
| Hopefully | 1580 | 43.1 % |
| As long as they stay healthy | 1738 | 47.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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