Maple Leafs' Craig Berube Gets Honest After Sharks Loss

The Maple Leafs have the talent to be a playoff team, but talent doesn't matter if execution and commitment aren't consistent. Berube knows that, and he's not going to pretend otherwise just to protect his players' feelings.

Failing in Critical Moments

What seemed to frustrate Berube most was how the Maple Leafs failed to execute basic hockey plays in critical moments. Late in the game with the goalie pulled, Toronto had multiple chances to clear the puck out of their zone and couldn't get it done.

"Goalie out, we had an opportunity to get the puck out a couple times and we didn't do it." That's the kind of mistake that costs teams games. When you pull your goalie for the extra attacker, every possession matters

. You can't afford to leave the puck sitting in your own zone when you have multiple opportunities to clear it. The Maple Leafs did exactly that, and it likely cost them a chance to tie the game or at least extend the possession.

A Concerning Pattern

The loss to the Sharks is particularly troubling because San Jose isn't exactly a powerhouse. This is a team the Maple Leafs should handle, especially if they have any aspirations of being a legitimate playoff contender.

Instead, they found a way to lose, and the mistakes that cost them weren't complicated systems breakdowns or bad luck. They were fundamental failures in execution.

Berube's postgame comments suggest he's running out of patience with the same issues showing up game after game. The Maple Leafs need to be better, and until they are, the losses will keep piling up and the frustration will keep building.