Craig Berube Says the Toronto Maple Leafs Won't Win in the Playoffs Unless They Fix This One Thing
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for a playoff run, however, Craig Berube wants the team to be realistic about one specific facet of the game.
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 3-2 and the night before, they beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1.
These wins were incredibly important for the team as they are now three points up in the Atlantic Division title fight and they have eight games left to maintain the lead.
No matter what, they are going into the playoffs with heavy expectations and fans are hopeful that they can pull off something they haven't done in decades.
Craig Berube on the key to the playoffs
After last night's game, Berube spoke to the media where he was honest about what this team needs to do in order to be successful in the postseason.
As he explained, it all comes down to blocking shots as this is how you keep teams at bay and exercise your grit. When the games are close, the little things have to be done right.
"We stress it a lot. I still think we can do a better job of it. We are going to need to do a better job of it. It is a big deal. In the playoffs to win hockey games - tight games - you have to be willing to block shots. I thought our D blocked a ton of them tonight."
On Sunday, the Leafs blocked a whopping 22 shots and they blocked another 14 on Saturday against the Kings.
Mix this in with some solid goaltending and you have a recipe for success. The Leafs struggle to get out of the first round but this season, they are positioned to do it.
Overall, the fans are hopefully that they will have something to cheer about over the coming months, and this is a squad good enough to give it to them.
Only time will tell whether or not everyone raises their play or crumbles under the pressure of expectations.
| POLL | ||
MARS 31 | 244 ANSWERS Craig Berube Says the Toronto Maple Leafs Won't Win in the Playoffs Unless They Fix This One Thing Do you believe Craig Berube can coach this Maple Leafs team to some playoff success? | ||
| YES | 223 | 91.4 % |
| NO | 21 | 8.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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