The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, snapping their three-game winning streak.
While the team started the game strong, it was ultimately the middle frame once again where things started to look a little sloppy. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube broke down how he saw the team start strong, but fall apart in the second period.
“Good first period, I thought we came out with the right mindset, did some good things,” Berube said. “Second period, turned pucks over, that’s basically what it boiled down to. Basically Montreal owned that period because of turnovers. Overall, missed the net like 15 times, at least. Good opportunities, gotta hit the net on those opportunities.”
Toronto’s offence looked a lot better through the tail end of its recent road trip, but it went quiet once again on Saturday, missing on key opportunities. That was most clear on the power play, where the team continues to struggle to convert. The Leafs currently have the fifth worst man advantage in the league, with a 14.7 percent success rate, and from Berube’s perspective, it’s a question of confidence.
“The power play has got to come through for us and it didn’t,” he said. “Right now, what I see when I watch it is that they’re very unsure of themselves. Particularly the power play in the second period, we moved it well, but we don’t take a shot. The shots are there and we’re not taking them. Then when we do take a shot, it’s probably the wrong time. They’re not feeling too good about themselves out there. Gotta work through it, that’s all you can do.”
That being said, he did point to one bright spot he’s noticed with team’s man advantage unit.
“I thought (Easton) Cowan on the power play made some good plays,” he said.
In his rookie season, Cowan has emerged as an asset for the team, bringing speed and skill on the puck. His talents have become useful on the power play, and with Berube’s vote of confidence, he’s sure to keep getting opportunities there going forward.
The Maple Leafs continue on Monday, hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second of their five-game home stand.
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