Leafs Left Frustrated Despite Comeback Win - Beritaja

TORONTO – Craig Berube could respire a sigh of relief. The Maple Leafs caput coach was besides acold from pleased.

His squad looked dormant and buried done 2 periods connected a listless nighttime wherever they appeared either unwilling aliases incapable to get retired of 2nd gear.

The book — almost retired of obscurity — past dramatically flipped.

Toronto roared backmost pinch 3 goals early successful the 3rd against the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier Bobby McMann buried the victor pinch conscionable complete six minutes to spell successful regularisation to snatch an improbable 4-3 decision.

Berube, however, was astatine a nonaccomplishment to explicate overmuch of Monday’s showing successful the contiguous aftermath.

“I person nary hint … I don’t person an reply for that,” he said of an disfigured capacity complete the game’s first 40 minutes. “The 2nd period, they sewage the puck and did immoderate they wanted pinch it, and we didn’t cheque anybody. We didn’t sound anybody disconnected the puck. And erstwhile we did get it, we gave it backmost to them, and they conscionable kept coming backmost down our throats.

“It’s not bully enough.”

Berube expected the Leafs’ push that yet came to commencement the mediate period. The group alternatively had conscionable 8 shots full erstwhile it headed down the passageway and into its locker room for the 2nd intermission.

After that lacklustre showing, the seasoned chair leader addressed the group.

“You guys could usage your imagination for that and everyone other conscionable echoed,” said Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who kept things adjacent erstwhile the people was 3-0 and vanished pinch 34 saves. “We’re large boys. We’ve been about agelong enough. We knew that’s not our game.”

Berube loaded up his apical statement successful the 3rd pinch William Nylander joining Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies successful hopes of gaining a spark — and it worked.

Matthews sewage things going connected a breakaway earlier Nylander scored doubly successful his return from a lower-body wounded that saw the winger beryllium for 3 of the past 4 contests.

“Energy and passion, emotion … first 2 periods, it wasn’t pretty,” Matthews said of what was missing. “We conscionable couldn’t really get overmuch going connected either broadside of the puck. Proud of the measurement we fought back, but you don’t want to put yourself successful that position to statesman with.

“Definitely thing that we want to cleanable up correct away.”

Nylander, meanwhile, was much succinct successful his assessment.

“Unacceptable,” he said. “Our compete level was not there. Losing each battle, losing each puck.”

Monday did, however, people conscionable the 4th clip successful franchise history — and first since March 1977 — that the Leafs rallied from a three-plus extremity shortage successful the 3rd to prime up a regularisation victory.

“It could springiness you confidence,” Matthews said. “But successful the end, we’re a seasoned group. We’ve been successful situations for illustration that before. The connection is not arsenic much, ‘It was awesome to travel backmost and get the 2 points and person a awesome 3rd period.’ The attraction should much beryllium connected the first 2 periods and why we lacked each those different things that sewage america down.

“It’s thing that we’ll fig out, but we’ll return the 2 points and move connected and proceed to effort to build.”

Berube will nary uncertainty beryllium harping connected immoderate cardinal points erstwhile the Leafs reconvene for believe Tuesday.

“Guys played successful the 3rd and did what they’re could of doing, and came backmost and won a game,” said the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach. “That’s a bully feeling, but we person to understand that you’re going to get down successful this convention astatine times by a mates goals … it’s the consequence that’s needed to get backmost successful the game.

“We sewage that consequence successful the third. I don’t understand why we ne'er sewage it correct distant successful the 2nd — that’s the frustrating part. And that’s each intelligence for me. It’s each intelligence for me. Just sewage to beryllium better.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published Nov. 3, 2025.

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"Leafs Left Frustrated Despite Comeback Win - Beritaja"

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