Toronto Maple Leafs
Berube Has Defiant Response to Rumors About Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews
Craig Berube was asked about rumors he told the Maple Leafs to play dump and chase hockey, including Auston Matthews.
Former Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has responded to criticism of his system and his handling of Auston Matthews, and he isn’t walking any of it back.
On TSN First Up, Aaron Korolnek asked Berube about a report alleging he told his wingers to dump the puck in. Berube didn’t deny the speculation, but said he had a reason for trying to change how the team’s stars, including Matthews, played the game. He stood by the approach, suggesting a 200-foot game is what makes great players and dumping the puck is a big part of how you win in the NHL.
Wingers on last season’s roster reportedly said they were told to “dump the puck in” and often worried about being punished for creative plays at the offensive blue line, according to Daniel Fotoronto. Some wonder if the player exit interviews and complaints about that style are a big part of why Berube was let go this summer.
Why Did Matthews Regress Under Berube?
Berube also addressed how he deployed Matthews. He pointed to injuries as a factor in the star center’s scoring dip over the past couple of seasons. He said he was trying to instill a 200-foot game in everyone, and if that meant Matthews took more defensive-zone draws against top lines, that was his thinking. “I stick by my guns,” he said, adding that your best player has to play in the D zone at times.
He did concede that some things could have gone differently, including his own coaching and the roster.
“There’s always decisions and certain things that could have been done a little bit differently last year. Losing Mitch, obviously, is a huge loss. You’re not going to replace Mitch, but I think we could have done some things a little bit differently, not only in personnel, but in myself as a coach. Overall, I think it was just a tough year. Injury-wise, losing our goalies and losing [Chris] Tanev, it’s tough. We battled back at times and put ourselves in good situations to move forward, but we just couldn’t get over that hump.”
Overall, most would contend that Berube in Toronto wasn’t a good fit. He had a different idea for what would work than the players were willing to embrace. The chemistry wasn’t there.
The contrast with new head coach Craig Hiller is already noticeable. The Leafs have rarely talked about playing north-south under Hiller, which was a constant focus over the past two seasons.
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