Despite sitting dead last in the East, head coach Craig Berube is urging the Maple Leafs to embrace a "glass half-full" mentality to spark a turnaround on their critical five-game road trip.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling.
Sitting dead last in the NHL’s Eastern Conference with a 9-10-3 record, the club is trying to maintain a positive outlook ahead of a five-game road trip beginning Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Following a lengthy practice session, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube delivered a clear message, ending the day with these words: “The glass is half-full, not half-empty.”
Berube elaborated on that sentiment Tuesday.
“That's where you've got to look at things,” he said. “We've got an opportunity to go in here tomorrow and get two points, and that's got to be our focus, and then we'll go from there to the next game.”
Optimism has been difficult to come by, given the mounting injuries at key positions for a club that has dropped seven of its last eight games. However, goaltender Joseph Woll agreed with Berube’s perspective.
“We're just trying to stay and play how we know [we can],” Woll said. “Sometimes we can get away from structure or different things. What's important to us is to stick to that process and I think Chief has outlined that for us very well. It's just our job to keep carrying that out.”
In many ways, a "glass half-full" approach is pragmatic; despite the club’s record, they are only five points out of a playoff spot in a very tight race. A string of wins could quickly change the perception of their season prospects.
“There's a lot of hockey to be played... it's a great opportunity on this road trip to do some good things, earn some results and put ourselves in a good spot,” John Tavares said. “So I think [we are] just looking forward to the challenge. Obviously aware of the length of the trip and what it entails, but just staying focused on tomorrow and playing a good hockey game and doing everything we can to get a win.”
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