Some members of the Toronto Maple Leafs didn't hold back in their post-game press conferences, as Craig Berube and Anthony Stolarz took the opportunity to call out the team's lack of effort in Saturday night's loss to the Seattle Kraken. The skaters left Stolarz out to dry on numerous occasions in the loss, which was surprising given the way Berube wants them to play. The head coach likely let the players hear it after the game, but he also expressed his disdain to the media.
“We know how we can play,” Berube said. “We don't put it together for 60 minutes, and that's what you get.”
The sky certainly isn't falling for the Maple Leafs yet, as the overtime loss dropped their record to 3-2-1. They are just one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for first in the Atlantic Division, whom they dropped both of their regulation losses to last week. It hasn't been the most encouraging start to the season for Toronto, but there is plenty of time for them to reach another level.
The loss of Mitch Marner has taken a slight toll on their offense. It's an adjustment after losing a 100-point player, so it isn't too surprising that some of his former linemates have taken some time to get it going. The issue for Berube is that he replaced Marner with more grit and tenacity, but it seems the team hasn't increased its intensity level from past seasons.
Berube was brought in to change the team's culture, and he hasn't been able to do that yet. It's no surprise to hear him publicly call out the team, as he may start to feel his seat getting warm if things don't change this season and the Maple Leafs suffer another early playoff exit. For Craig Berube, it's better to get out ahead of it instead of chalking it up as any other early-season loss.
