‘Lazy hockey’: Sloppy Leafs fall to Blues

TORONTO – Craig Berube ran a gauntlet of feelings Thursday morning.

The Maple Leafs head coach was poised to face the St. Louis Blues — the group he led to its solely Stanley Cup victory in 2019, and the one which fired him final December — on the lookout for a bounceback efficiency from his group following an unsightly effort two nights earlier.

Berube was all smiles, night joking with reporters he didn’t know the situation of his championship ring.

The sensation was decidedly completely different on the remaining buzzer.

Berube minimize a dissatisfied determine after Toronto bumbled its option to a 5-1 loss thanks to a different disjointed displaying pockmarked by defensive miscues and offensive struggles.

“Our entire group’s getting slightly cute,” he mentioned. “We’ve simply acquired to play direct.”

The Leafs didn’t clear the entrance of the web on the primary aim towards — netminder Joseph Woll (groin) made his season debut after coming off injured reserve — earlier than Blues ahead Dylan Holloway was left alone in entrance on an influence play.

Berube then fumed on the bench after St. Louis made it 3-1 within the second on a sequence that began with Toronto defenceman Jake McCabe making an attempt to play the puck between his legs.

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“Simply not doing issues proper,” mentioned Berube, who spent components of six seasons with the Blues and changed the fired Sheldon Keefe in Might. “It was lazy hockey.”

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Leafs captain Auston Matthews mentioned the message was clear.

“We simply should be higher,” he mentioned. “We should be in spots, we have to fill positions, we have to examine higher.”

Toronto winger William Nylander turned the puck over early within the third and St. Louis raced the opposite manner earlier than Jake Neighbours ripped a shot upstairs for a 4-1 cushion.

“We’ve for certain taken a dip,” Nylander mentioned. “That’s on me and all people else on the group to choose it up a notch.”

The Leafs talked about responding after Tuesday’s 6-2 street loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, however that turned out to be principally bluster.

“Two video games in a row we’re simply not adequate,” mentioned Matthews, who has three objectives by means of eight contests after scoring 69 final season. “Gentle on pucks, we didn’t win battles, we didn’t win the net-front.”

Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson mentioned it’s a matter of defensive depth on the heels of 11 objectives towards in two video games.

“I don’t assume that’s gonna minimize it,” he mentioned. “That’s the place it begins.”

Other than the end result, the gamers had been disheartened with the displaying on an enormous evening for his or her new coach.

“We must always have been higher there for him,” Nylander mentioned.

Berube, nevertheless, mentioned there’s loads of blame to share.

“You’re going to undergo powerful instances,” he mentioned. “We’ve all acquired to be higher, myself included.”

SHOOTING BLANKS

Toronto’s talent-filled, underperforming energy play dropped to 3-for-27 after one other punchless effort on three probabilities.

“Not producing sufficient, simply not on the identical web page,” Matthews mentioned. “The story all through the primary eight video games right here. It’s powerful to dominate, to achieve momentum when that’s off.”

BACKING BINNER

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington is within the dialog to be amongst Canada’s crease contingent at February’s NHL 4 Nations event.

St. Louis head coach Bannister mentioned his netminder ought to be on the prime of the record.

“Aggressive, excessive hockey IQ, very environment friendly getting out to pucks and transferring pucks,” he mentioned. “Binner’s going to be there on the finish. He’s going to be a man that pushes.

“He’s not gonna surrender that spot.”

WALKING WOUNDED

Berube mentioned previous to the sport that Max Pacioretty (lower-body damage) is day-to-day, whereas fellow veteran ahead Calle Jarnkrok (lower-body damage), who’s on long-term injured reserve, hasn’t began skating.

Rookie centre Fraser Minten (excessive ankle sprain) joined the group for Thursday’s morning skate after getting damage final month.

“He’s been working laborious,” Berube mentioned. “He’s going to be a great participant … trying ahead to getting him again and taking part in video games.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Oct. 24, 2024.

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