The Maple Leafs head coach explained his reasoning behind addressing his captain following the team's third goal allowed in a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
The Maple Leafs head coach explained his reasoning behind addressing his captain following the team's third goal allowed in a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Craig Berube had a strong message to Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews during Thursday's club's 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
After being on the ice for the club's third goal allowed, Berube was fairly animated at Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
Was Berube just blowing off steam or was he sending a message?
"It's just accountability to everybody, that's all it is. It's nothing personal," Berube said following the club's practice on Friday. "It's just me being a coach and doing what I think is right at the time."
Following the game, Matthews didn't have much to say on what transpired but spoke about it a day later.
"I mean, I don't know. I mean, it's hockey. You get yelled at sometimes. Coach yells. You just kind of take it as it goes," Matthews said. "I don't know. There's obviously an impact. We obviously all respect him and his presence and everything on the bench. Yeah, so it's not anything you take personally."
The Maple Leafs held their first practice in a week as they maneuvered around a tight schedule. The session was filled with several one-on-one battles as the club prepares for tough games coming up against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, followed by the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
Mitch Marner, who plays on Matthews' line and will continue to do so based on rushes at practice, understands where Berube is coming from.
I mean, you're pissed off if you're on the ice against a goal. So, you're already pissed off," Marner said. "We need to be more direct with that puck. We need to be better with it. We've got to be at the five as a unit, and, you know, you expect it when you get back it wasn't the prettiest of plays out of the five guys on the ice."