Following the Leafs’ 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes, Craig Berube pointed out that the team’s struggles came from defensive breakdowns in their own zone. He said they left the slot too open and spent too much time defending, particularly in the second period. The inability to win battles and kill plays allowed the game to slip out of their hands.
Craig Berube acknowledged the Hurricanes’ strengths, describing them as a hardworking and competitive team.
“They’re a good team—they’re difficult to play against,” Craig Berube said. “They work and compete hard down low. I thought we started off okay, killing plays and going north with the puck, but we spent too much time in our zone tonight, and it ended up in our net.”
While the Leafs started the game well by moving the puck efficiently, they eventually got bogged down in their defensive zone, which led to goals against.
On the shorthanded goal given up during a five-forward power play, Berube admitted it was preventable. He noted that the team needed to defend harder in the neutral zone and eliminate the pass, even though he still supports the five-forward setup overall.
“They scored, had some good looks on the next one, and did some good things. We just need to clean up the mistakes—it was too loose,” he said.
Despite some good moments on the power play, he emphasized the need to tighten up defensively to avoid costly mistakes.
When asked about goaltender Joseph Woll, Berube said Woll made some good saves but likely wanted a few goals back. He praised Woll’s effort and resilience, noting that he has handled the increased workload well and continues to compete hard in net.
Craig Berube claims William Nylander was ‘way better’
Berube was pleased to see William Nylander get on the scoresheet, saying he had a strong game with plenty of opportunities. He worked hard, skated well, and was rewarded for his persistence after some early missed chances.
“Early on, he had a two-on-one and a breakaway that didn’t go in, but he stayed with it. I thought he was way better tonight—he had a lot of opportunities, skated well, and worked hard. It was good to see,” the head coach said.
On the challenge of facing Jordan Staal’s line, Berube described them as a heavy, relentless unit that forces opponents to work for every play. He admitted the Leafs had too many breakdowns, which allowed the line to capitalize on key chances.
🚨🎙️ Craig Berube On Nick Robertson’s game after returning from a healthy scratch:
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) January 10, 2025
“I liked Robby’s game tonight. He worked, skated, and scored a goal. He had some other opportunities. He was tenacious, working, skating, and doing his thing. He was a good player.”
—… pic.twitter.com/2mG8ZnSV6E
Finally, Berube mentioned Nick Robertson’s strong performance, praising his energy, effort, and goal-scoring. He called Robertson a ‘tenacious’ player who created opportunities and stood out as one of the team’s brighter spots in the game.