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Mental Mistakes? Maple Leafs Must Escape First-Period Slumps

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 6:49 PM ET

Watching the Toronto Maple Leafs lately, you can’t help but notice the pattern: the team comes out and suddenly finds itself in a hole. Head coach Craig Berube calls it what it is — a mental grind.

It’s Hard for the Maple Leafs to Come Back from Three Goals Down

“It’s tough,” he says. “We come home in this stretch… down by two or three in the first period. It’s a mental grind on everybody.” And that’s the thing. It’s not that the Maple Leafs can’t start games against good teams. It’s when mistakes creep in early that it weighs on the entire group.

It’s all in the details, Berube says. First few minutes = fresh start. Limit mistakes, play simple hockey, stay patient. The talent must be combined with early energy. Because without that early energy, the Maple Leafs end up climbing out of a hole they don’t have to dig.

The Maple Leafs Might Start Okay, But Then Pay for Early Mistakes

It’s not all about hands and feet — it’s about the head. Berube points out that the Maple Leafs start well, but early slip-ups can drain the team. Suddenly, you’re chasing a score instead of calling the shots. Berube gets it: hockey’s about reactions as much as execution.

The solution? Focus and patience. Don’t force plays, don’t let frustration creep in, and don’t let one bad bounce spiral into a mental mountain. Simple, yes, but the execution is key. Berube’s words echo it perfectly: “We gotta fight through it… play a simpler game… be a little more patient in our game.” That’s the prescription.

When the Maple Leafs Do Start Well, They Can Dominate

And there’s hope here. When the Maple Leafs do start clean, when the mistakes are limited and the pace controlled, they can dominate. Berube would say it’s about consistency, about carrying the first few minutes into the full sixty. The talent is there. The tools are there. Now it’s just about sticking to the plan, limiting mistakes, and treating each start like the reset it’s meant to be.

It’s a mental grind, yes. But one they can overcome, one period at a time.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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