Craig Berube Noticeably Defensive As Maple Leafs' Core Heavily Criticized Over Game 5 Loss
Photo credit: hookedonhockeymagazine.com
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube is not buying into the notion that it's the responsibility of the Core 4 to close out the series against the Ottawa Senators.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube had no issue publicly criticizing Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews following his team's Game 5 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
At the same time, he is shutting down any talk of Toronto's "Core 4" being solely responsible for getting the job done against the Senators, despite their lofty contracts and plentiful ice-time.
Berube was asked about his concerns regarding Marner, Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares failing to take the reins and get the Maple Leafs past the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He insisted that this isn't just about the team's main players, and it's time for everyone to step up.
"It's on everybody on the team. I get it. It's all I hear around here is core, core, core. The Core 4. But, it's on everybody on the team. We're a team and it's on the whole team, not just four guys."
Matthews, specifically, has been on the receiving end of some major criticism from analysts for failing to step up when needed most.
"We know he has another gear. We know what it looks like when he hits that gear. In one of these games, in one of these moments, you'd like to see him have one of those games, one of THOSE games." - Justin Bourne, Real Kyper and Bourne Show
Veteran Max Pacioretty recently had a mic-drop moment when he told his teammates they need to play each night like they're willing to die on the ice.
Regardless, the team has not looked like it's willing to do that so far, and while Berube may not be willing to single out the Core 4, fans and analysts certainly are.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 30 | 2824 ANSWERS Craig Berube Noticeably Defensive As Maple Leafs' Core Heavily Criticized Over Game 5 Loss Do you agree with Craig Berube that it's not just the Maple Leafs' Core 4 that needs to step up? | ||
| Yes | 2382 | 84.3 % |
| No | 384 | 13.6 % |
| Not sure | 58 | 2.1 % |
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