Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube 'Driven Bananas' By Team's Embarrassing Effort Against Montreal
Photo credit: Screenshot
The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube didn't mince his words about his team's embarrassing efforts against the Montreal Canadiens last night.
The Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs
faced off for the second straight preseason game last night at the Scotiabank Arena, and for the second straight game, the best team on the ice fell for the oldest trick in the book.
faced off for the second straight preseason game last night at the Scotiabank Arena, and for the second straight game, the best team on the ice fell for the oldest trick in the book.
Indeed, the two teams took turns at sending lineups filled with AHLers for the away games. The Leafs won in Montreal, and the Canadiens won in Toronto facing much tougher opponents.
In his post-game press conference, Berube didn't shy away from speaking his truth about his team, the game, and preseasons in general.
Preseason Games Can Drive Coaches 'Bananas', Per Craig Berube
NHL preseason games don't mean anything in the standings and some veterans compete accordingly. Avoiding injuries before the start of the season is crucial.
In Montreal, last Thursday, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and the other top players of the team lost 7-2 in a massive blowout loss against a lineup filled mostly with Marlies players.
Then, last night, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, and John Tavares lost 4-2 against a lineup with only a few regular NHLers.
Berube stated after the game that the Canadiens competed hard and played a simple game while the Leafs complicated things on the ice.
He added that coaching preseason games can sometimes "drive a coach bananas."
In his own words:
"I liked their 6 on 5s. It's one of those preseason games. I thought Montreal worked hard. You know, they played a simple game, and we kind of complicated things at times. That's what you get sometimes in preseason games."
"They are, yeah, because it lacks intensity, I think, more than anything," he admitted. "And that can drive a coach bananas. But I understand.
There was some good stuff, too. I was happy with some of the stuff. I look for structure stuff. I look for routes and just things like that that go on in the game, our systems."
"They are, yeah, because it lacks intensity, I think, more than anything," he admitted. "And that can drive a coach bananas. But I understand.
There was some good stuff, too. I was happy with some of the stuff. I look for structure stuff. I look for routes and just things like that that go on in the game, our systems."
Berube and the Leafs will be back on the ice next Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings for another preseason divisional matchup.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 28 | 465 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube 'Driven Bananas' By Team's Embarrassing Effort Against Montreal Which team will be better in the 2025-26 season? | ||
TRENDING NOW
