HC Craig Berube doesn't mince his words in review of star trio Nylander-Matthews-Marner line's performance in Leafs' 5-3 win over Stars

Modified Dec 19, 2024 06:12 GMT

Head coach Craig Berube gave a straightforward review of the Toronto Maple Leafs' top trio after their 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Despite their contributions to the game, Berube didn’t hesitate to point out areas where they could improve.

William Nylander had a strong performance, scoring two goals and earning two points. He recorded four shots on goal and had a plus/minus rating of zero. Nylander avoided penalties and played for 16 minutes and 27 seconds, with eight minutes and 13 seconds of productive ice time.

Auston Matthews registered one assist and earned a single point. He finished with a minus-2 rating and took no penalties. Matthews recorded two shots on goal and played for 18 minutes and 27 seconds.

Mitch Marner also contributed one assist, earning one point. He ended the game with a minus-2 rating and avoided penalties. Marner had one shot on goal and played for 20 minutes and 38 seconds.

During a postgame press conference, when asked about Nylander, Matthews and Marner, Craig Berube acknowledged their efforts and said:

"I know they got a goal and some chances, but for me, they were off a little bit tonight, like a lot of our guys were. I didn’t think they had their best game. We’ll see."

(from 8:59 mark onwards)

Berube’s comments may encourage the trio to focus on improving and delivering stronger performances in future games.

Toronto Maple Leafs defeat Dallas Stars 5-3 after third-period rally

The Maple Leafs beat the Stars 5-3 at American Airlines Center, helped by Joseph Woll’s 36 saves. William Nylander, Max Domi, Nicholas Robertson and Bobby McMann also scored goals for the Leafs.

Sam Steel scored first for Dallas at 5:14 in the first period with a high shot. Domi tied it 1-1 at 6:13 after forcing a turnover.

Evgenii Dadonov gave Dallas a 2-1 lead early in the second period with a quick shot. Nylander tied it 2-2 at 5:15 with a shot from the slot.

Robertson made it 3-2 for Toronto at 5:31 after a missed Dallas clearing attempt. McMann extended the lead to 4-2 with a shot from the circle. Colin Blackwell brought the Stars closer at 17:44 with a late goal. Nylander then scored into an empty net at 18:17 to finish it 5-3.

Coach Craig Berube praised Woll for the win.

“[Woll] was great tonight,” Berube said via NHL.com. “...We needed him to be good and he was. That gives our team confidence too, it plays a lot into it."

The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Buffalo Sabres next at KeyBank Center on Friday, hoping to extend their season series lead to 2-0.