Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and head coach Craig Berube seem to be at a disconnect, especially after Saturday’s post-game comments.
It’s dire times in Toronto right now, and with the head coach on the hot seat and the captain not pulling his weight; it’s getting more and more tense by the day.
Craig Berube and Auston Matthews at odds with dueling post-game comments
Things seem to be even more disconnected after Saturday night, and with both of their post-game comments; we get an idea of how bad things really are.
First we’ll start with Berube’s comments, which were directed towards the team’s inability to make the right decisions, and how their miscues led to two Nashville goals:
That late goal we gave up in the second period, was avoidable. Third goal is avoidable. Is it mental?
Yeah, it is. It’s mental, for sure. We’ve got to get through it. We’ve got to get over that. We’ve got to make better decisions throughout the game.
Berube was not pleased with how the team were unable to hold off the woeful Predators, and he had every right to be upset. Not only were they grossly outshot, but the team is clearly not playing with their full heart, and these five minute spurts of energy aren’t enough to sustain success.
But then you get Auston Matthews’ post-game comments where he praised the team’s performance overall and while they aren’t happy with the loss, they can at least take positives away from it:
I thought we had a better process tonight. Had the puck more, made more plays, and our forwards came through the neutral zone cleaner. Adjustments on the fly aren’t perfect, but we were better.
I’d like that one back at the end of the second, and they had momentum in the third. You get down and you’re trying to chase it back. But there were definitely more positives than the previous couple games.
While it’s great Toronto was able to score a few goals and not be shutout, it wasn’t because of Matthews and company.
So who gets the last laugh for the Maple Leafs
This has to be clear evidence that the team and Berube are at odds, and if the coach is displeased with the effort but the captain says it’s a better job; who do you believe?
Right now, the stars are barely visible in the sky let alone shining. Call it a disconnect with the coach or not, these players are being paid tens of millions of dollars to perform and just aren’t.
Matthews has three points and a minus-seven over his last five games, 14 shots, two hits, and two blocks. Even his defensive game has suffered and currently that’s about the most he’s able to offer the team.
But also Berube has repeatedly stuck to his guns and not made any drastic changes even with the minimal pieces he has. Why he continues to play Philippe Myers is bizarre, and he is too stubborn to really spread out the lineup.
If Berube gets fired, that’s a win for the players who seem tired of their coach. Meanwhile if he stands pat for the year, this is going to be another disappointing and even more miserable finish.
While the coach and captain continue to be at odds with their team’s performance, it’s the fans left wondering how things got to be so bad, so quickly.
Previously on Hockey Patrol