HC Craig Berube makes his thoughts on Maple Leafs' NHL-worst power play extremely clear

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 03, 2024 06:38 GMT

After the Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-2 to the St. Louis Blues, Blues head coach Craig Berube shared his thoughts on Toronto’s struggling power play. Toronto controlled the first period and went into the intermission with a 1-0 lead. They had several good chances but couldn’t extend their lead. As the game continued, the Blues took advantage of their opportunities, and Pavel Buchnevich scored an empty-netter to seal Toronto's defeat.

Toronto’s power play continues to be a major issue, with a season-low success rate of 7.9%. When asked about it, Berube stated that the problem was simple: execution. He believed Toronto lacked a "shot mentality" and wasn’t getting enough pucks on net. Instead of creating chances from broken plays around the net, the Maple Leafs appeared hesitant to shoot, which ultimately cost them.

"For me it's execution, to be honest with you. But the other thing is there's not a directness to it. We're not getting pucks to the net enough. We're on the power play. We need to shoot pucks more. We need to get pucks to the net and create opportunities around the net on broken plays. But we're not. There's not a shot mentality on the power play right now," Berube said.

It’s a frustrating situation for Toronto’s fans and the team, especially given their offensive talent. With significant investments in their offense, more was expected. Going 0-for-4 on the power play against the Blues showed a missed chance to take control after their strong start.

Even though the Leafs lost, some players had good performances. John Tavares created many scoring chances and was a threat, even though he didn’t score. Conor Timmins also stood out by assisting Mitch Marner's opening goal and moving the puck well. Goalie Joseph Woll, despite not having great stats, made important saves to keep Toronto in the game.

The Maple Leafs showed some potential. Steven Lorentz and David Kämpf scored late, giving Toronto a chance. Marner was active early, scoring the first goal and taking four shots in the first period. However, as Berube noted, these positive moments didn’t last, and Toronto couldn’t score when it mattered.

To succeed, the Toronto Maple Leafs may need to focus less on setting up plays and more on creating chances near the net. If they don’t change this approach, their power play struggles might keep affecting their season.

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Mitch Marner spoke about the Maple Leafs' power play struggles

After the Maple Leafs' 4-2 loss, Mitch Marner discussed the team’s overall performance. He said they are working hard to improve it.

“We’re working on it non-stop,” Marner said. “We’re trying to figure things out—it’s not like we’re not trying.”

“We just have to stay patient, keep practicing, and keep pushing,” he added." He acknowledged the pressure, especially with new players joining, but believes they’re on the right path. “We know we can do better and find ways to improve. It’ll eventually click.”

Marner scored in Saturday’s game, extending his point streak to four games. It was his first goal in nine games and his second this season.

Last year, Marner also had a slow start, with just five goals in his first 20 games. He still ended the season strong, finishing with 26 goals and 85 points. Fans hope he’ll find the same rhythm this year.