‘Lazy hockey’: Sloppy Leafs fall to Blues

TORONTO – Craig Berube ran a gauntlet of emotions Thursday morning.

The Maple Leafs caput manager was poised to look the St. Louis Blues — the squad helium led to its lone Stanley Cup triumph successful 2019, and the 1 that fired him past December — looking for a bounceback show from his radical pursuing an disfigured effort 2 nights earlier.

Berube was each smiles, evening joking with reporters helium didn’t cognize the determination of his title ring.

The feeling was decidedly antithetic astatine the last buzzer.

Berube chopped a disappointed fig aft Toronto bumbled its mode to a 5-1 nonaccomplishment acknowledgment to different disjointed showing pockmarked by antiaircraft miscues and violative struggles.

“Our full team’s getting a small cute,” helium said. “We’ve conscionable got to play direct.”

The Leafs didn’t wide the beforehand of the nett connected the archetypal extremity against — netminder Joseph Woll (groin) made his play debut aft coming disconnected injured reserve — earlier Blues guardant Dylan Holloway was near unsocial successful beforehand connected a powerfulness play.

Berube past fumed connected the seat aft St. Louis made it 3-1 successful the 2nd connected a series that started with Toronto defenceman Jake McCabe trying to play the puck betwixt his legs.

“Just not doing things right,” said Berube, who spent parts of six seasons with the Blues and replaced the fired Sheldon Keefe successful May. “It was lazy hockey.”

Leafs skipper Auston Matthews said the connection was clear.

“We conscionable request to beryllium better,” helium said. “We request to beryllium successful spots, we request to capable positions, we request to cheque better.”

Toronto winger William Nylander turned the puck implicit aboriginal successful the 3rd and St. Louis raced the different mode earlier Jake Neighbours ripped a changeable upstairs for a 4-1 cushion.

“We’ve for definite taken a dip,” Nylander said. “That’s connected maine and everybody other connected the squad to prime it up a notch.”

The Leafs talked astir responding aft Tuesday’s 6-2 roadworthy nonaccomplishment to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but that turned retired to beryllium mostly bluster.

“Two games successful a enactment we’re conscionable not bully enough,” said Matthews, who has 3 goals done 8 contests aft scoring 69 past season. “Light connected pucks, we didn’t triumph battles, we didn’t triumph the net-front.”

Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson said it’s a substance of antiaircraft strength connected the heels of 11 goals against successful 2 games.

“I don’t deliberation that’s gonna chopped it,” helium said. “That’s wherever it starts.”

Apart from the result, the players were disheartened with the showing connected a large nighttime for their caller coach.

“We should person been amended determination for him,” Nylander said.

Berube, however, said there’s plentifulness of blasted to share.

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“You’re going to spell done pugnacious times,” helium said. “We’ve each got to beryllium better, myself included.”

SHOOTING BLANKS

Toronto’s talent-filled, underperforming powerfulness play dropped to 3-for-27 aft different punchless effort connected 3 chances.

“Not generating enough, conscionable not connected the aforesaid page,” Matthews said. “The communicative passim the archetypal 8 games here. It’s pugnacious to dominate, to summation momentum erstwhile that’s off.”

BACKING BINNER

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington is successful the speech to beryllium among Canada’s crease contingent astatine February’s NHL 4 Nations tournament.

St. Louis caput manager Bannister said his netminder should beryllium astatine the apical of the list.

“Competitive, precocious hockey IQ, precise businesslike getting retired to pucks and moving pucks,” helium said. “Binner’s going to beryllium determination astatine the end. He’s going to beryllium a feline that pushes.

“He’s not gonna springiness up that spot.”

WALKING WOUNDED

Berube said anterior to the crippled that Max Pacioretty (lower-body injury) is day-to-day, portion chap seasoned guardant Calle Jarnkrok (lower-body injury), who’s connected semipermanent injured reserve, hasn’t started skating.

Rookie centre Fraser Minten (high ankle sprain) joined the squad for Thursday’s greeting skate aft getting wounded past month.

“He’s been moving hard,” Berube said. “He’s going to beryllium a bully subordinate … looking guardant to getting him backmost and playing games.”

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 24, 2024.

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