Two Leafs to make season debuts as Berube eyes bounce-back game
Craig Berube is making changes up front and on the back end of his lineup in the wake of Tuesday’s ugly 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
admin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Craig Berube is making changes up front and on the back end of his lineup in the wake of Tuesday’s ugly 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Alex Steeves, who was called up from the AHL this week, will make his season debut against the Washington Capitals Wednesday, subbing in for snakebitten third-line winger Nick Robertson.
The Leafs are getting desperate for five-on-five scoring, having only scored once in those situations over the past five games.
Steeves leads all Marlies and ranks second in the American Hockey League with nine goals in 10 games. In his seven NHL appearances, spread over three seasons, he has never scored.
“Well, he’s played extremely well down there in the minors and the times I’ve (had) him up top in camp with us. He’s a worker. And he’s got some skill too,” Berube said a couple hours before puck drop.
“He’s a guy that battles, he’s competitive, he works extremely hard and has the ability to put the puck into the net a little bit.”
/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6364668079112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6364668079112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6364668079112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc");
if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }
var DUFI_IP = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP");
if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }
adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-428146" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6364668079112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/6364668079112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/is-berubes-approach-to-holding-maple-leafs-accountable-paying-off/" }); });
Right-shot defenceman Jani Hakanpää will play his first NHL game as a Maple Leaf and first since March 16, supplanting Simon Benoit — and not righty Conor Timmins — on the blue line and on the penalty kill.
The big veteran tested out his rehabilitated knee down with the Marlies before coming off long-term injured reserve. Toronto will be cautious with his workload.
“I think it’s kind of a feel situation and a see situation as it goes along,” Berube said. “See what he’s looking like, how his feet are and his timing and things like that. So, we’ll have to watch that closely tonight and see where he’s at.”
Benoit’s healthy scratch marks his first of the season. Robertson — a shooter with just one goal and no assists — will sit for a third time.
The coach is demanding a response after the Leafs’ lifeless loss at home less than 24 hours ago, and this one takes on extra meaning because it is Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s 1,000th game.
/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6364626647112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6364626647112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6364626647112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc");
if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }
var DUFI_IP = false; if (localStorage.getItem("consent") !== null && localStorage.getItem("consent-targeting") !== null) DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP");
if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }
adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-229756" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6364626647112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/6364626647112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/nhl-highlights-senators-3-maple-leafs-0/" }); });
Berube said the focus is “a better start to the game.”
“I mean, we got scored on the first shift from a turnover. Didn’t play the rush very well. But obviously, we got to have a better start, for sure. And really didn’t recover from that start.
“We got outskated in the game, and I thought their compete level was higher than ours. And, for me, that caused most of the problems. From a tactical standpoint, when you’re getting outskated like that, out-competed, it causes a lot of problems within your system.”
Back home in Toronto, Auston Matthews (upper body) did not skate Wednesday. That makes three consecutive days off the ice for the injured captain, who tested out his ailment in solo skates Saturday and Sunday.
Asked Tuesday if Matthews had suffered a setback, Berube replied: “Not really. It’s just not getting to where it needs to get to. We’re just trying to manage it. Just trying to make sure, when he comes back, he’s good and 100 per cent.”
