Craig Berube Vehemently Defends One of Maple Leafs' Biggest Areas of Concern
Photo credit: DAN HAMILTON/USA TODAY NETWORK
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube doesn't have the same level of concern over one of the team's biggest perceived weaknesses as everyone else seems to.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off of an impressive 4-3 overtime victory against the New Jersey Devils.
Superstar
Auston Matthews also scored twice in the victory, including one goal on the power play. This particular aspect has been a source of controversy recently, as the Leafs' power play has struggled.
However, head coach Craig Berube set the record straight regarding the power play in an
interview with TSN.
As per Mark Masters on X, Berube isn't sweating the power play production and believes that it's not the big deal that everyone is making it out to be:
"Power play in the last 10 games is 23 per cent. That's not struggling. I get what you are saying, it has struggled at times in games."
Berube elaborated on what the team has been doing well on the power play and what they need to continue to focus on to keep scoring.
"Getting it to the net with numbers around. You gotta shoot pucks, you gotta have numbers around the net, it doesn't have to be complicated."
With
John Tavares out, the Maple Leafs had to shuffle their lines, including adjustments to their power play units, with
Bobby McMann stepping up into Tavares' spot on the top unit.
While the team's power play might feel worse than it is, it's easy for narratives to get blown out of proportion in a hockey-centric city like Toronto. Unlike former Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, Berube isn't afraid to stand up to the media and
ensure that his voice is heard.
The Maple Leafs will now prepare for a matchup against their long-time rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, on Saturday as they look to start a win streak and add to their the lead in the Atlantic Division standings.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
POLL |
JANVIER 18 | 1753 ANSWERS Craig Berube Vehemently Defends One of Maple Leafs' Biggest Areas of Concern Will the Maple Leafs finish the season with a top-10 power play in the league? |
Yes | 729 | 41.6 % |
No | 1024 | 58.4 % |
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