TORONTO — That season Craig Berube guided his hockey team to a Stanley Cup, it too was a mess at this time of year.
So much so, those 2018-19 St. Louis Blues fired bench boss Mike Yeo in the back half of November after stumbling to a 7-9-3 start and falling to last place in their division. They promoted assistant Berube to the head gig on an interim basis.
The group didnâ€t immediately rally; those eventual champions were tied for dead last in the league on New Yearâ€s Day.
In order to write a wonderful comeback story, you need something to come back from.
Flash forward seven Novembers, and Berube is back in familiar territory. He can only look up to see anyone else in the conference standings.
“Same approach almost, right now,†the Toronto Maple Leafs coach said Monday. “Same approach.â€
Judging by points (21), points percentage (.477) and goals against per game (3.37), Berubeâ€s bunch wakes up three days before U.S. Thanksgiving as the worst team in the NHLâ€s Eastern Conference.
Recent endorsement from the boss be damned, Berube said he wears the weight of earning just one win over the past eight tries the same way a player would.
“I mean, we all feel it and want to be better and want to do better. But at the same time, my job is to help these guys, to teach them, to work with them. And everybodyâ€s got to grind right now. Itâ€s a grind. You got to grind.
“Do I sleep any differently? No. I wake up and look forward to coming to the rink and trying to get better, like everybody else.â€
It says something, though, about the physical fragility of these Leafs that — in wake of a lacklustre performance Saturday in Montreal and a day off Sunday — that Mondayâ€s developmental workout was light on grind.
A healthy and busy leadership core — Morgan Rielly, William Nylander, John Tavares, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Joseph Woll — eschewed the skates Monday in favour of “mental and physical rest,” per Berube, who also stayed off the ice. The injured and role players scattered on separate pads to sharpen individual skills.Â
A full practice is scheduled for Tuesday before the Leafs embark on their longest road trip to date: Columbus, Washington, Pittsburgh, Florida and Carolina.
Banged up mentally and physically, the Leafs will board a charter to take on a handful of hungry conference rivals in what Berube positioned as a “critical†road trip.
Toronto is a league-worst 1-6 away from home, and it is banking on the return of healthy skaters to prevent that record from worsening.
First, the good news: Jake McCabe, who left Saturdayâ€s loss with a puck to the face, is good to play Wednesday in Columbus, the coach assures. (McCabe did not skate Monday.)
Captain Auston Matthews (lower body), top-line left wing Matthews Knies (lower body) and centre Nicolas Roy (upper body) are all “close†and have not been ruled out for Wednesday.
Now, the concerning news: neither Brandon Carlo nor Anthony Stolarz (both upper body) have skated since their respective injuries. Stolarz hasnâ€t been seen by reporters in days now. Berube said Thursday that he was hopeful Stolarz has not suffered a setback and would likely resume skating Friday.Â
On Monday, Berube said his goalie is “a ways away.â€
If Berube has any hope of resummoning the magic of 2019, health is imperative.
So is team defence, which has shot to the top of the coachâ€s list.
Berube has no interest in overhauling his system, but he said heâ€s seen improvement from a couple mid-season adjustments heâ€s made to the game plan.
Execution without the puck remains an issue, be it limiting counterattacks, making quick exits, or tightening around the crease.
“Itâ€s something weâ€ve been banging away at for a bit here, and we got to keep banging away at it. We prided ourselves on defence last year. Checking. And we got to get back to that,†Berube said.
Simon Benoit, of all Maple Leafs, offered the most impassioned and accountable words on the first day back to work since getting passed by the hapless Buffalo Sabres in the standings on Sunday.
“Just not good enough. Thatâ€s it. Thereâ€s no explanation. Just not good enough,†Benoit said of the 5-2 egg Toronto laid in Montreal.
“We have to be more hungry — myself. Just start. We have to be more hungry. We need to show that we want to win out there.â€
Benoit was asked to assess the mood of the group. He didnâ€t quite know. They hadnâ€t been together. Heâ€d been working on his own game, which he says has been too passive.
“The guys are trying, but it just takes more. Itâ€s a hard league to win,†Benoit said. “Everybody has to show up every night, and all together. Itâ€s a team sport. Just not one guy can make it. It has to be everybody.â€
The hallmarks of that squad from seven Novembers ago that Berube helped elevate from the basement — impenetrable defence, all hands on deck, elite goaltending, dogged forecheck, relentless work ethic, sum greater than the individual parts?
Those traits have yet to materialize here in Toronto.
There is still time for them to develop, an optimist would counter.
“We know we can be much, much, much better,†Benoit said. “And heâ€s pushing us to achieve that goal.Â
“And we all like the guy, respect him a lot. He wants us to succeed.â€
Maybe Berubeâ€s history of 2019 can repeat itself.
Maybe sports are crazy and the miracle we canâ€t see coming lies just around the corner.
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