TORONTO — The season Craig Berube led his hockey team to the Stanley Cup, it was a mess that time of year, too.
So much so that the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues fired bench coach Mike Yeo in the second half of November after struggling to a 7-9-3 start and falling to last place in their division. They appointed Berube's assistant to the interim leadership position.
The group did not immediately unite; on New Year's Day, these eventual champions found themselves last in the league.
To write a great comeback story, you need something to come back from.
Fast forward to November 7, and Berube is back in familiar territory. He can only look up to see someone else in the conference standings.
“Almost the same approach now,” Toronto Maple Leafs The coach said Monday. “Same approach.”
Based on points (21), points percentage (.477) and goals per game (3.37), Berube's team is the worst team in the NHL's Eastern Conference three days before Thanksgiving in the United States.
Recent approval Screw the boss, Berube said he carries the burden of earning just one win in his last eight tries, just like a player would.
“I mean, we all feel it and we want to get better and we want to do better. But at the same time, my job is to help these guys, teach them, work with them. And everyone has to work right now. It's a job. You have to work.
“Do I sleep differently? No. I wake up and look forward to coming to the rink and trying to get better like everyone else.”
However, this says something about the physical fragility of these Leaves. bad performance on Saturday in Montreal and a day off on Sunday – developmental training that Monday was easy.
A healthy and engaged leadership core — Morgan Rielly, William Nylander, John Tavares, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Joseph Wall — retired from skates Monday in favor of “mental and physical rest,” according to Berube, who also did not appear on the ice. Injured and role players went to separate areas to hone their individual skills.
A full practice is scheduled for Tuesday before the Leafs embark on their longest road trip to date: Columbus, Washington, Pittsburgh, Florida and Carolina.
Exhausted mentally and physically, the Leafs will board a charter to take on a handful of hungry conference opponents in what Berube is billing as a “critical” road trip.
Toronto has a league-worst 1-6 record on the road and is banking on the return of healthy skaters to keep that record from worsening.
First the good news: Jake McCabewho, after Saturday's defeat, was left with a puck in his face, is ready to play on Wednesday in Columbus, the coach assures. (McCabe did not skate Monday.)
Captain Auston Matthews (lower body), left top lineman Matthews Nice (lower body) and center Nicholas Roy (upper body) are all “close” and not ruled out for Wednesday's game.
Now the disturbing news: neither Brandon Carlo nor Anthony Stolarz (both upper bodies) were riding after injuries. Journalists have not seen Stolarets for several days. Berube said Thursday that he hopes Stolarz did not suffer a setback and will likely resume skating on Friday.
On Monday, Berube said his goalie is “a long way from here.”
If Berube has any hope of rekindling the magic of 2019, health is a must.
So is the team's defense, which was ranked No. 1 on the coaches' list.
Berube isn't interested in overhauling his system, but he said he saw improvement after a couple of changes he made to his game plan midseason.
Executing off the puck remains a challenge, whether it's limiting counters, quick exits, or pinning around the crease.
“This is something we've been working on here for a while and we need to continue to work on it. Last year we prided ourselves on our defense. Checking. And we've got to get back to that,” Berube said.
Simon Benoitof all the Maple Leafs, uttered the most passionate and responsible words on his first day back on the job after being overtaken in the standings by the hapless Buffalo Sabers on Sunday.
“Just not good enough. That's it. There'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.”
Benoit was asked to assess the mood of the group. He didn't quite know. They weren't together. He worked on his own game, which he said was too passive.
“The guys are trying, but it takes more. It’s difficult to win this championship,” Benoit said. “Everyone has to show up every night and all together. It's a team sport. It's just not one guy can do it. It has to be everyone.”
The hallmarks of that team from November seven ago that Berube helped lift out of the basement – impenetrable defense, all hands on deck, elite goaltending, tenacious forechecking, relentless work ethic, the sum greater than the parts?
These traits have yet to materialize here in Toronto.
They still have time to develop, the optimist will object.
“We know we can be much, much, much better,” Benoit said. “And he pushes us to achieve this goal.
“And we all like the guy, we respect him a lot. He wants us to succeed.”
Perhaps Berube's 2019 history could repeat itself.
Perhaps sports are madness, and a miracle we cannot see is just around the corner.
