The Maple Leafs hit another road block against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, unable to sustain early pressure or use their power play to keep the game closer.
Our takeaways on the 4-2 loss as their record moves to 6-5-1:
UNPLUGGING THE POWER PLAY
While 7.9% would be a good monthly return on an investment, the same figure is unacceptable for the four weeks the Leafs have laboured on a power play that used to be among the highest ranked in hockey. After Saturday’s 0-for-4 night – again there were some chances that wouldn’t sit or were stopped by Jordan Binnington – the Leafs are shockingly 32nd in the NHL despite all that offensive talent.
New coach Craig Berube gave the vital portfolio to Marc Savard, who inherited a 1-for-21 group from former assistant Guy Boucher in last year’s playoffs. But the once fearsome fivesome have struggled again, including with new partners such as Max Pacioretty and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
For the last chance on Saturday, Berube had Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly back together. That didn’t work, either.
“There’s not a shot mentality on the power play right now,” Berube told reporters in St. Louis after the loss. “For me it’s execution. But the other thing is there’s not a directness to it. We’re not getting pucks to the net enough. We’re on the power play. We need to shoot more, get pucks to the net and create opportunities around the net on broken plays. But we’re not.”
It’s hardly the first time he’s mentioned lack of “directness” and his players keep repeating it to the press. But the power play that used to win them games has lost one or two for them. And of their three measly extra-man goals, none have yet come on the road.
“It’s a great question, we’re working on it non-stop,“ Marner insisted, adding it will yield results eventually.
SINGIN’ THE BLUES
We’re sure the Leafs respect their new coach and love Joseph Woll, knowing how much this game meant to the hometown goalie.
But for the second time in nine days with a chance to give both some bragging rights, against Berube’s old team he’d led to the 2019 Cup and Woll’s first start in front of friends and family, they couldn’t make it happen.
Berube did have a wonderful night out Friday with the cadre of friends he’s still close with 11 months after his firing and Woll saw familiar faces from Dardenne Prairie in the seats. But Berube was on the losing end of both by a 9-3 count, while Woll has given up seven on 49 shots with little support.
Berube cited key plays late in a shift where winded Leafs tried to make plays that backfired, one resulting in the first Blues’ goal.
Unless it’s the Cup final, these teams are done with each other for ‘24-25.
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MAX-ED OUT
When Berube reconstructed his second line — and up to Saturday John Tavares, Max Pacioretty and William Nylander doing well — it left a third line gap. Max Domi has yet to score this year and he’s not triggered a light since Game 2 of the Boston series. Pontus Holmberg is fiesty, but he’s no finisher and Bobby McMann has been hot and cold.
Domi continues to get power play time and had a couple of chances Saturday to give the second unit some success. No Leaf line is likely to get a break Sunday when the Minnesota Wild will look to leap on their tired ranks.
BOXED IN
Regarding the Leafs sudden surge of taking penalties, Berube said before Saturday he was most miffed with calls coming in the offensive zone than “good” penalties that must be taken to stop high danger chances. Again, there were the stick infractions he hopes to reduce and though Marner’s first of two was behind the St. Louis net and negated one Toronto power play, it was more happenstance than anything.
Berube liked both Matthews and defenceman Jake McCabe stepping up for roughed-up teammates that resulted in two short-handed situations. According to NHLStats, that was just the eighth game in their long association that Matthews and Marner took penalties in the same game and the first ever they totalled three minors between them.
“We can’t take four or five a night,” defenceman Chris Tanev said, adding he had to show the way as well after getting called.
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