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Craig Berube named new coach of the Leafs

A surprisingly good question from Rosie DiManno (I know, right?)

What does a Craig Berube team look like? How does it play hockey?
Competitive. We don't want to get outworked, ever. We want to be highly competitive every night.

And it's all about the team for me. That's one of the things I really focus on, and that's part of building a team. Everyone is important on a team, everyone has got to be used on a team, and they all have jobs and roles on a team. That's a real important aspect for me.

We want to play a North game, we want to play fast, we want to be a heavy team.

When I talk about heaviness, it's not running guys through boards and fighting and all that stuff. The game has changed, but you still have to be strong on pucks, you have got to win puck battles -- those are priorities for me. Just playing predictable and North and playing as fast as we can.

Structure's huge. We've got to have structure in all three zones. That's going to be a priority.
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FASSTHOLE SZN
 
[youtube]nvG1BWXupS4[/youtube]
https://twitter.com/leafsnews/status/1792954652767531053
https://twitter.com/leafsnews/status/1792951770064334863
 
You can see the obvious echoes of Treliving's first press conference when he was hired last May.

This idea of the core four and all of those types of things ? my job is to protect them, right? It is to protect them. I am fiercely protective of my players. But this can?t just be about the core four. This is about the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is not about four players, or two, or one. It is about the 23 guys we are going to have in this organization.

[...]

The success of this team, or whatever challenges we have, is not because of two guys or four guys or one guy. It is about the group. For a manager coming in, I am pretty lucky to have the talent that those four represent as well as everybody else on this team.
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And today:
Treliving: I think I mentioned it when I came in here, but the importance of team? It sounds motherhood-ish ? it sounds a little bit cliche ? but you need everyone. It is not about one, two, three, four, or five people. It is about a team. It is about the Toronto Maple Leafs. The outside can use all kinds of catchy phrases about core fours, fives, and threes, but it is about a team, the ability to build a team, and the ability to connect with players.
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Now this isn't just Berube toeing the company line after getting hired. He has always believed this and his players in St. Louis indicated so.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5492728/2024/05/17/craig-berube-maple-leafs-blues-2/
?It?s all team-first with Craig Berube. That?s all he cares about. He does not care about individuals, points? it?s team-first all the way. If that hurts some people?s feelings along the way, so be it,? Bortuzzo said.
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And it's in line with the process-driven approach the Leafs have sought, since Shanahan came aboard:
The focus of the 2018-19 Blues under Berube was simple: Generic as it might sound, his players were pushed to compete to their highest potential.

?The game comes down to hundreds of little 50-50 battles. And (Berube) expects you to win more than you lost,? Bortuzzo said.
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I'm not sure why Shanahan needed to be at this press conference.  This is the 3rd head coach under his unsuccessful tenure.  Maybe he shouldn't be at all of these things. 

I liked a lot of what I heard but it doesn't matter much unless the team plays up to that standard.  I doubt Keefe was telling the team to lose puck battles and not try to score.
 
Highlander said:
Shanahan had to be there. Ultimately he is the boss.
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Agreed. It seemed normal to me. If you're having a press conference with one of the most important persons, the boss is usually there.
 
It's early to tell, and this isn't really based on anything, but I'm already sensing more coherence among the management group. Treliving, Berube, and Doan seem to be a good fit.

I'm guessing they clean house on the coaching staff.
 
Bullfrog said:
Highlander said:
Shanahan had to be there. Ultimately he is the boss.
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Agreed. It seemed normal to me. If you're having a press conference with one of the most important persons, the boss is usually there.
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Yup, especially for moves he almost certainly had some significant input into.
 
Zee said:
Highlander said:
Shanahan had to be there. Ultimately he is the boss.
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He wasn't at the presser when they hired Keefe, it was only Dubas
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He flew to AZ for Babcock's firing.
He was part of the Press Conference dealing with it and Keefe's hiring
They were in AZ - maybe they didn't have a big table for all of them to sit at.
[youtube]HWZSlzYxNv4[/youtube]
 
RE: Shanahan at a coach intro presser:

Consider this: Keith Pelley is MLSE President now and has emphasized team unity as a key component of success. He was a front-row audience member and got up for the jersey photo. Could just be how he wants to operate going forwards: all the (hockey) heads at the table and they wear the decisions together regardless of who is holding the authority to show a unified front at every opportunity.
 
https://x.com/KevinWeekes/status/1793279253804359709

Somewhat relevant to the Leafs as multiple reports suggested that D.J. Smith (who joined Hiller as an assistant coach midseason) could join Berube's staff if Hiller wasn't kept on as LA's head coach.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Somewhat relevant to the Leafs as multiple reports suggested that D.J. Smith (who joined Hiller as an assistant coach midseason) could join Berube's staff if Hiller wasn't kept on as LA's head coach.
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Would be fun if all the old Babcock assistants with the Leafs collected there in LA. Hakstol and McFarland are now available.
 
Guilt Trip said:
herman said:
lamajama said:
Marc Savard and Flames have mutually parted ways. Welcome to the Leafs in 3-2-1?.
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Oh lawd, he comin?
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And why should Leaf fans be excited?  Calgary's PP was like 25th last season
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He will finally teach Timothy Liljegren how to properly tape his stick, that?s why.
 
By the by: Marc Savard was PP assistant coach with Berube in 2019-20

Their PP% was 24.26% vs league avg 20.03% with fewer opportunities than average.

Leafs PP% was 23.95% vs league avg 20.98% this past regular season also with fewer opportunities than average.

Their highest PP goal scorer was Brayden Schenn with 10. Nylander had 11 PPG this past season. Matthews had 18.
 
Digesting all this the past few days, FWIW I think Berube sounds just like what the doctor ordered.  Let's see if he can get Marner to attack the net more, root out the last vestiges of Nylander taking shifts off, convince Matthews that he has plenty of personal trophies and needs a team one, and convert Tavares into a faceoff-taking winger.

And fix whatever the hell is wrong with Woll and mold Hildeby into an instant backup.
 
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