The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing like a bunch of zombies with no real intent to win. Whether it's the coaching or the players is immaterial, because it's the coach who got fired.
The players are playing without confidence because they are being put into positions they're not comfortable in. I understand the argument—they are all professionals, they get paid, and they earn it. But a coach's job is to put players in a position to succeed. Does Berube do that? I think the players are making a statement and shutting out the coach. If the players shut him out, it doesn't matter what he says.
This team has turned into a bunch of "me" players. They were able to win games on their talent before, but this year, that is not enough. They don't have the desire to win consistently.
Everyone knows the race of the tortoise and the hare. Can I tell you a secret? It's a lie. Slow and steady does not win hockey games.
In this game, it's all about the speed. The Leafs are skating like they have shells on their backs. The team's speed is an issue; we need some young blood with legs. That means they have to retool, or reset, or rebuild—any way you say it, it means start over.
Berube wants this team to play along the boards to slow the game down. If they don't, they will be humiliated. You cannot allow four breakaways a game.
Final word
Simply put, this league has changed. The clutch-and-grab game no longer wins. You cannot hinder a player from going after a puck. Until this team learns to work and skate faster and really has the desire to win, nothing will change. So far, I have not seen any evidence that this team is capable of that.
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