Berube requires extra urgency as Maple Leafs’ stumbles proceed vs. Senators

Following a commerce deadline that introduced largely rumours and query marks, amid a stretch that had seen them drop 4 of their previous 5 video games — together with losses to a few real contenders — and contemporary off a missed alternative to show themselves in opposition to the defending champs, the blue-and-white wanted a win. An indication that this group can nonetheless be thought-about among the many league’s elite heading into the post-season, regardless of their current mediocrity.

As an alternative, Saturday night time underneath the Scotiabank Area lights, the Maple Leafs fell flat once more, ending on the incorrect finish of a Battle of Ontario bout in opposition to a surging Ottawa Senators squad that presently appears to be like more likely to make some actual playoff noise.

It was a rerun of the loss the membership trudged by Thursday: A wobbly begin, a largely lifeless offensive effort general, ill-timed penalties and poor special-teams play on each facet of the puck. 

As soon as once more, the Maple Leafs drew first blood, a implausible particular person effort from William Nylander incomes Toronto its solely promising second of the night time. Earlier than they’d even completed asserting No. 88’s tally, although, the Senators had already answered, Jake Sanderson sniping a fast equalizer previous Anthony Stolarz from the left circle.

The Senators even provided up a gift-wrapped alternative to regain the lead, netminder Linus Ullmark badly misplaying the puck halfway by the second interval, the sequence in the end winding up with the puck on Auston Matthews’ stick, and a wide-open internet in entrance of him. However even after the house facet accepted and cashed in, it took solely minutes for the guests to strain Toronto into giving up one other equalizer.

In the long run, the night time was determined the way in which it has been so many instances earlier than for this group — an ill-timed penalty, a game-winning aim from the opposing energy play and, after all, a lacklustre effort when Toronto received its personal power-play alternative in crunch time.

As was the case final outing, the Maple Leafs managed a late push, stringing collectively some respectable possibilities and briefly wanting like a respectable menace. However as soon as once more, it merely got here too late.

Because the mud settled on what wound up a 4-2 Sens win, stretching Toronto’s current slate to 5 losses in six video games, the Maple Leafs’ bench boss didn’t mince phrases when requested to evaluate his group’s play of late.

“I’m involved, for positive,” stated head coach Craig Berube from the bowels of Scotiabank Area late Saturday. “It’s hockey. There’s sure stretches you undergo that it’s not there. You simply hold battling away as a coach. You’ve received to carry your gamers accountable to it. They’ve received to carry themselves accountable to it — they should make their thoughts up, within the room, on the significance of the beginning of the sport. And 60 minutes of urgency, particulars, doing issues proper, enjoying our recreation. 

“I didn’t discover that we wished to play our recreation early sufficient on this recreation. We wished to carry pucks again, and play sluggish, and attempt to undergo them. We had some possibilities off the push, I get it — however you don’t construct your recreation. Third interval, we performed extra north, gained extra battles, extra urgency, and it’s a special interval. So, it’s about us getting collectively right here and placing 60 minutes collectively.”

The numbers inform the same story. Had been you to look solely on the field rating, you would come away considering the Senators had outlasted their provincial rival in a nail-biter, that the Maple Leafs had pressed all night time, however merely didn’t get the bounces. However as has been the case these days, the field rating doesn’t replicate the truth of what’s enjoying out on the ice for this crew — of how few moments in a recreation these Maple Leafs really seem like a harmful crew, versus a crew housing a couple of harmful gamers.

Saturday night time, the Leafs and Senators completed pretty even throughout plenty of offensive metrics, Toronto even incomes an edge right here and there. Per Sportlogiq, the Maple Leafs had extra offensive-zone possession time (6:28 vs. Ottawa’s 5:17), extra high-danger possibilities (eight to Ottawa’s seven), extra scoring possibilities off the cycle (seven to Ottawa’s three) and have been practically degree when it comes to scoring possibilities off the push (5 to Ottawa’s six). Toronto was the much better crew when it comes to its managed entry success fee (62.9 per cent to Ottawa’s 39.3 per cent) and its managed exit success fee (88 per cent to Ottawa’s 79.3 per cent). 

However there have been key crimson flags, too. Tops amongst them, the share of puck battles gained by every membership on this night time: 72.2 per cent for Ottawa, 27.8 per cent for Toronto.

“Their three objectives have been all about dropping battles contained in the blue line. We didn’t win sufficient battles there,” Berube stated of Saturday’s opponent. “It’s urgency for me, and particulars, within the first two intervals that weren’t there. After we resolve to have urgency, and do issues the appropriate manner, we’re a manner higher crew within the third — however you’re behind, and generally you don’t come again. We had possibilities, however that’s what occurs.”

Making issues worse, after all, is the calibre of membership the Maple Leafs have continued to return up quick in opposition to these days. After a run of wins in late February, Toronto has lined up throughout from 4 real playoff groups this month, and misplaced to all of them: The Vegas Golden Knights (5-2 loss), the Colorado Avalanche (7-4 loss), the Florida Panthers (3-2 loss), and the Senators, Saturday (4-2 loss). 

It’s not simply the rising pile of L’s — it’s the way in which this membership appears to be like when the strain ramps up, and the video games get tighter. When the common season begins to provide strategy to the post-season.

“I believe the margins have been actually small the final couple video games,” Matthews stated of his membership’s current slide. “I believe it’s simply particulars in our recreation haven’t fairly been there. I imply, it’s on us to determine that out and to only be higher. We’ve received to get it by our heads that each one these video games, particularly with among the groups we’re enjoying, all these video games are going to be playoff-like video games. These groups are combating for his or her lives, they’re attempting to make a push — they’re determined groups, just like the one we performed tonight. We’ve received to wrap our heads round that, and simply be higher throughout as a crew.”

“It’s all around the ice,” added Nylander. “You realize, D-zone, energy play, PK, O-zone, how we’re enjoying with the puck. I believe every thing’s simply received to be picked up a notch, and dialled up. 

“We’ve simply received to simplify and grind a bit bit. That’s it.”

For Berube, who made his identify by guiding a membership by about as vital adversity as you would discover — his 2019 St. Louis Blues reaching the Stanley Cup summit in June after rating final within the league in January — it’s easy. 

The battles the Maple Leafs are navigating now are the identical ones they’ll be combating by in April. And progress gained’t come till this group figures out easy methods to thrive in that surroundings.

“These guys, they need to win. Belief me on that. They need to win. There’s a way of frustration, for positive. We’ve received to look previous that,” the coach stated Saturday. “We are able to’t complain about, or get undisciplined as a result of groups are checking us laborious. That’s what you’ve received to get by. They checked laborious tonight. Florida checked laborious. Groups are going to examine laborious. Each recreation we play, they’re going to examine laborious. You’ve received to battle by the examine. 

“We checked properly tonight too, we didn’t quit a ton. However we are able to do much more with the puck, we are able to make it so much more durable on different groups with the puck. And we’re not proper now.”