Berube Calls Out Maple Leafs’ Leaders As “No Shows”

Craig Berube wasn’t searching for the right words after the game. He already had them. Down 3-2 heading into the third period, the Toronto Maple Leafs came out flat against the Edmonton Oilers. The 6-3 final score doesn’t even begin to tell how few chances the Maple Leafs had in the third period.

Again, just like the last game against the San Jose Sharks, two good periods. Then one bad one. And a third period at home that, in his eyes, wasn’t acceptable. Flat was the word he used. Not unlucky. Not outplayed. Flat.

He couldn’t have been more right. As I watched, it struck me that I didn’t remember Toronto being in the Oilers’ defensive zone more than a couple of times the entire final period. It was that bad.

That distinction matters. Berube isn’t arguing that the Maple Leafs lack talent or structure. He’s saying they lacked intent. For a coach who believes games are decided by urgency as much as execution, that’s a far more serious problem.

Two Maple Leafs Were in the Game for the First Two Periods, Then Dropped Off

Berube was clear that Toronto did plenty right early. They had speed through the neutral zone. They created chances. For forty minutes, the game looked like something they could manage. That only made the third period more frustrating.

This wasn’t a slow start or an early mistake. It was a failure to set the tone for how the period would be played. At home. Against an opponent that should have been an even test. In a game that was still there to be taken. They didn’t.

When a Coach Like Berube Uses “Leaders,” He’s Pointing at Someone

The sharpest part of Berube’s comments came when he pointed directly at leadership. “Our leaders have got to take control,” he said. Coaches don’t say that casually, and they don’t say it publicly unless the message has already been delivered privately. The fact is, I don’t remember Auston Matthews or William Nylander doing much in the entire game.

This wasn’t about calling anyone out by name. It was about responsibility. When the game tightens and momentum wobbles, Berube expects certain players to pull the group back into the fight. He didn’t see that happen.

For Berube, It’s His Players’ Mindset, Not His System

Berube kept coming back to the team’s mindset. Whether you’re up a goal or down one, he wants the same urgency. The same clarity. The same willingness to impose your game instead of reacting to someone else’s.

That’s where this critique cuts deeper than tactics. Systems can be tweaked. Lines can be shuffled. Mindset is tougher to change because it lives in habits, in confidence, and in the unspoken understanding of who takes charge when things drift.

Why Berube Said What He Said Out Loud

Some coaches protect their room at all costs. Berube doesn’t operate that way. If he feels the issue is accountability, he’ll say it. I’m sure he doesn’t want to embarrass players; he wants to encourage a response.

That approach carries risk. Veterans don’t always love being challenged in public by their coach when he’s talking to the media. Berube isn’t wired to protect feelings. He values being clear over being comfortable, and if the Maple Leafs are going to fix how they finish games, it has to come from inside the room.

The Maple Leafs’ Response Will Matter

What happens next is the real story. Anyone can nod along after a tough postgame. What matters is whether the third period looks different next time out. More direct. More urgent. And, more decisive.

Berube has thrown the responsibility back to his leaders. Now we find out if the Maple Leafs are willing to grab hold of it.

Related: How the Maple Leafs’ Troy Stecher Surprised the Oilers