Craig Berube Is Destroying the Maple Leafs Ability to Score With 1 Bad Strategy

Overall, I am a fan of what Craig Berube has done with the Toronto Maple Leafs so far. I don't think they play a style that makes any sense based on their roster, and I hate dump and chase hockey, but I like their record, so at this point, who cares? Berube has been more successful than anyone he's coaching, or anyone complaining about him (i,e me) so I'll give him a long time before I judge him one way or the other. I also suspect he's coaching this way at a loss for now in anticipation of a stronger, more balanced roster down the road that will better fit his style.

That said, the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive game is overrated due to their inability to move the puck effectively from the back end, and the BS narrative that they are a better defensive team under Berube, just because they dump and chase more, is absolute nonsense:

The Leafs rank 21st in Expected Goals Against per game. That is not where anything but a below average defensive team would rank. (Note they are 16th in Expected Goals For per game).

One thing people often forget, is that when you have the puck, when you are trying to score, you cannot be scored upon. High risk plays are stupid, but the fact is, there is a reason that teams who have the puck more in any given game, tend to win that game. I think smarter offensive deployment would help the Leafs play better defense overall.

So please allow me to demonstrate how easy it would be for the Leafs to score more. (All stats naturalstattrick.com).

Craig Berube Is Destroying the Maple Leafs Ability to Score With 1 Bad Strategy

Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in points, and Mitch Marner is just seven behind him. However, MacKinnon has taken 422 faceoffs in the offensive zone, 45% more than Marner's 228 and Matthews, who has missed 15 games, takes a similar amount of ozone faceoffs as Marner does.

One assumes that the reason for this discrepancy is that the Leafs have several bad players that they try to start as often as possible in the offensive zone. Max Domi, Simon Benoit and Connor Timmins have trouble getting out of the dzone after a lost faceoff, so Berube often chooses to give them prime starts so that they will be more effective.

Marner and Mattews are two-way players who provide great defense, and can drive the play up ice with regularity. It does make sense to have them start some shifts in the dzone.

The problem, is the opportunity cost. When the Leafs give an offensive faceoff to Max Domi's line, they aren't giving it to Mitch Marner. This is costing the Leafs goals. Goals win games, and players who score them win awards.

Colorado has the right idea: let your best offensive players play in the easiest spots to score.

Now full caveat here: This isn't really Berube's fault. I am 1000% confident Berube knows this and does it anyways. That's because his roster stinks. Does an old-school face-puncher like Berube want an all-offensive third line that he has to shelter at the expense of his best players getting prime scoring opportunities?

I doubt it very much. The Leafs have a third line that can't defense or drive play, and a fourth line that can't drive play or score. A more balanced, dare I say traditional, third line that can be deployed in all situations is the key to unlocking even more scoring from the top six.