After a hard-fought 2-1 overtime loss to the Red Wings, Craig Berube stood at the podium and delivered a clear-eyed assessment of where his Maple Leafs stand-and where they need to go.
Let’s start with the game itself. It was tight from the opening puck drop.
Berube called it “pretty even,” and he’s not wrong. The Leafs had their chances early, especially in the first two periods, but couldn’t solve Detroit’s goaltending.
On the other end, Toronto’s Joseph Woll was stellar, turning aside 39 shots in a performance that gave his team every chance to steal two points. “Great response by him,” Berube said.
“He made a lot of good saves, including on their power play.” That kind of goaltending is exactly what you want to see from Woll in a bounce-back spot.
Despite the strong play in net, the game slipped away in overtime-again. The Leafs’ struggles in the extra frame have become a recurring theme this season, and Berube acknowledged it’s something they’re working on.
“You can work on it, but it is about video and what we’re doing,” he said. The final play saw Easton Cowan get overpowered, leading to the Red Wings' game-winner.
It’s the kind of moment that stings, but also one that’s part of the process for a young player finding his way in the NHL.
Speaking of Cowan, Berube was measured in his evaluation. “He does good things, and then there are things he has to do better,” he said.
That’s the reality of being a rookie in this league. There are flashes of playmaking ability-Berube noted he “made some really good plays tonight”-but also moments where the game’s speed and physicality catch up with him.
It’s a balancing act, and Cowan is still learning when to push and when to simplify.
The Leafs were forced to play most of the game with just five defensemen after Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited early with a lower-body injury. Berube didn’t have a detailed update, saying they’d know more after further evaluation.
But he made it clear how much OEL means to this group. “We all know how well he has played and what he provides for our team,” Berube said.
“It is hard playing 58 minutes with five D.” Still, the remaining blueliners battled, and that kind of effort doesn’t go unnoticed in the room-or behind the bench.
One bright spot came from Scott Laughton’s line, which not only chipped in offensively but also handled one of Detroit’s top lines for most of the night. “They didn’t give up much, checked well, and did what they do,” Berube noted. That’s the kind of two-way responsibility coaches love, especially in close, grind-it-out games like this one.
Berube also took a moment to reflect on Mitch Marner’s legacy in Toronto. While the focus remains on the current group, the coach made sure to recognize what Marner meant to the city and the franchise.
“He did a lot for the Leafs as a player and a person,” Berube said. “He played a lot of good hockey here.”
It was a respectful nod to a player who, regardless of where he is now, left a lasting imprint on the organization.
Looking ahead, the Leafs will try to regroup for Friday’s matchup against Vegas. Berube isn’t leaning on emotion or atmosphere to carry them-he’s focused on mindset.
“We just need the same mindset we had tonight,” he said. “There were a lot of good things.
We have to go into every game that way right now.”
At 24-17-9, the Leafs are in that murky middle ground of the NHL standings-talented enough to make noise, but inconsistent enough to leave fans holding their breath. Games like this one show the potential. Now it’s about stringing those efforts together.