After a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken-a game that pushed the Maple Leafs to a 24-21-9 record-head coach Craig Berube faced the media with a steady hand and a clear message: the effort was there, even if the result wasn’t.
“We did a lot of good things tonight,” Berube said, pointing to the team’s overall play. And truth be told, he wasn’t wrong.
Toronto controlled large stretches of the game, dictated pace, and generated chances. But a few costly mistakes turned into goals against, and in a game where the margin for error was razor-thin, that was the difference.
“We had our opportunities to score more goals,” he added. **“It didn’t go in.
Their goalie played well.” ** And that’s often the story in hockey-sometimes, it’s not about dominating the shot clock or zone time, it’s about capitalizing on the few moments that swing momentum.
Seattle did that. Toronto didn’t.
Still, Berube isn’t hitting the panic button. The frustration is real, but so is the belief in the process.
“Nobody is happy,” he admitted. **“But in the end, that is the way we have to play.
If we play like that, we will win a lot of games.” **
That’s the tightrope Toronto is walking right now-playing well enough to win, but not getting the results. And when you’re chasing in the standings, moral victories don’t count for much. But Berube’s message is clear: stick with it.
The turning point came in the second period, when the Leafs gave up two quick goals. But rather than unravel, they pushed back.
“They battled back,” Berube said. **“In the third, too, they got that goal.
It was a one-goal game, and we were back in it.” ** Toronto’s power play showed life, generating chances and giving the team a jolt.
But another defensive lapse led to a backbreaking goal that sealed the result.
Between the pipes, Anthony Stolarz had a night he’ll want to partly forget. “He wants a couple back,” Berube acknowledged.
**“But overall, his game was better.” ** There were moments where Stolarz held firm, but in a game where every save mattered, a few leaky ones made the difference.
So how does a team stay positive when the scoreboard doesn’t reflect the work being put in? For Berube, it starts with communication-and leadership.
“It is about just communication with the team, and the leaders grabbing it and making sure we stay positive and are ready to go for the next game,” he said. **“That is part of their job.”
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And when it comes to the standings? Don’t expect Berube to start crunching numbers or projecting playoff odds.
“We can’t worry about that or look at that,” he emphasized. **“You are putting yourself in a bad spot.”
** His focus is squarely on the next game-nothing more, nothing less.
“We have to go to Vancouver and get two points,” he said. **“That is what we should be focused on.
Nothing else.” **
It’s a pragmatic approach from a coach who knows the grind of an NHL season. The Maple Leafs are in a tough spot, no doubt.
But Berube’s message is simple: stick to the plan, clean up the details, and let the results follow. For a team looking to claw its way back into the playoff picture, that mindset might be their best shot.