{"id":318933,"date":"2025-11-23T15:21:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T15:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/318933\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T15:21:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T15:21:28","slug":"berube-laments-inexcusable-leafs-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/318933\/","title":{"rendered":"Berube laments \u2018inexcusable\u2019 Leafs performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

MONTREAL \u2013 Craig Berube was out of answers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell 5-2 to the rival Montreal Canadiens in a battle of two slumping teams Saturday night, losing for the seventh time in eight games amid a season that began with Stanley Cup aspirations.<\/p>\n

Berube watched his group control play early, registering the game\u2019s first six shots, only to fold once the Canadiens capitalized on two quick opportunities, and then come out flat in a dismal second period.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a pattern the Leafs coach had seen before \u2013 and he still couldn\u2019t grasp why.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re down 2-0, but I just don\u2019t understand why we can\u2019t go out in the second period to dictate how we\u2019re going to play the period,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the difference for me. They dictated the game in the second period. They put their foot on the gas, and took it to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Leafs, who have a minus-11 goal differential in second periods this season, recorded zero shots for a stretch of 10:59 (from 16:48 to 5:49).<\/p>\n

The Canadiens registered 10 over the same span, including an 81-second keep-away session during a delayed Toronto penalty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go out there and we don\u2019t play with any urgency or any confidence in the second period, because we get down a couple goals,\u201d Berube said. \u201cThat\u2019s an excuse all day long for me. This is a veteran hockey team. It\u2019s inexcusable, and it\u2019s on me too. It\u2019s on all of us.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith a veteran team like that, that shouldn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Noah Dobson and Josh Anderson scored twice to help the Canadiens snap a five-game losing streak and build confidence heading into a three-game Western road trip.<\/p>\n

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Dobson skated into a one-timer teed up by Ivan Demidov at 4:09 in the middle frame for his second of the night.<\/p>\n

Berube then pulled goalie Joseph Woll after Anderson pushed Montreal\u2019s lead to 4-0 just 13:11 into the second period, and Canadiens fans began belting out \u201cOl\u00e9, Ol\u00e9\u201d chants with more than 25 minutes still to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just giving freebies to them, I just had had enough,\u201d said Berube, who called Woll\u2019s performance \u201cexcellent\u201d despite giving up four goals on 25 shots.<\/p>\n

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Asked if he made the decision to save the team or Woll \u2013 who\u2019s shouldering the load with Anthony Stolarz injured \u2013 Berube said \u201cboth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond period was real tough,\u201d added centre John Tavares. \u201cJust didn\u2019t respond well after we got down two, you know, we\u2019d been playing pretty well to that point.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just weren\u2019t able to kind of get things going in the second period until really late, and put us in a big hole.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defenceman Jake McCabe also exited in the second period after taking a puck to the face, adding to Toronto\u2019s injury woes. The Leafs were already down Stolarz, captain Auston Matthews and four other regulars, including Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev on defence.<\/p>\n

Berube said he didn\u2019t know the timeline of McCabe\u2019s injury, but called it \u201cbad enough he couldn\u2019t come back to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Winger William Nylander said the string of injuries and defeats will harden the team, which currently sits second-last in the Eastern Conference and four points out of a playoff spot.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s tough right now,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in the end I think it\u2019ll be good for our group.\u201d<\/p>\n

XHEKAJ BROTHERS<\/p>\n

Canadiens forward Florian Xhekaj lived up to his brother\u2019s reputation in his NHL debut, giving Montreal a much-needed spark.<\/p>\n

The younger brother of bruising Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj laid a huge hit on his opening shift, tallied an assist and dropped the gloves for a big third-period fight against Dakota Mermis.<\/p>\n

He then lifted his arms in the air to pump up the crowd as the Bell Centre erupted, while teammates banged their sticks along the boards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of fired up our bench, fired up our crowd after, I had so much adrenaline,\u201d the six-foot-four, 204-pound winger said.<\/p>\n

Arber, meanwhile, was enjoying every minute.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I see my younger bro throw hands like that, it\u2019s awesome,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t stop banging my stick. I was yelling at him, \u2018Show the crowd some love! Show the crowd some love! He fired them up and yeah, it was perfect, it was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Florian and Arber Xhekaj became the 14th pair of brothers to play in the same game for the Canadiens, and the latest since Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn in 2010.<\/p>\n

Their mom, Simona, father, Jack, and two sisters travelled from Hamilton to Montreal on Saturday morning to be there.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot many guys can say they played their first NHL game at the Bell Centre against the Leafs, and then to have my brother here with me, it\u2019s truly special,\u201d Florian said. \u201cAnd for my dad and my mom to be here, I mean, there\u2019s nothing I could ask for more.\u201d<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2025.<\/p>\n

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