The Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Scotiabank Arena left fans bewildered and searching for answers. Let’s just say Penguins fans were looking forward to celebrating what seemed like an easy victory, given how thoroughly Pittsburgh dominated the ice for most of the game.
What followed could be called an anomaly. The Leafs emerged aggressively after a sleepy beginning to reclaim the game and overcame a 3-0 deficit to turn the day in their favor. However, despite the victory, a nagging worry remains that Toronto was overpowered for the majority of the match.
Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube Gets Candid Following the Team’s Sensational Win
The Penguins looked almost sure to secure the win when the Leafs made a phenomenal comeback. While impressive by all means, it lay bare a crucial shortcoming: the Leafs fell short of Pittsburgh most of the time, only to secure a win in the very last minute, hurriedly.
The win was made possible by William Nylander. The 29-year-old winger and a member of the former core four has two goals to his credit in the showdown against the Penguins. Captain Auston Matthews put in another goal, while winger Bobby McMann scored the tie-breaking goal to enable the Leafs to pull off the near impossible task of salvaging the game on home ice.
Craig Berube sounded utterly dissatisfied with his team’s apparent lack of activity, especially in the second period. Despite the win, Berube believes they fell short of their mark.
Speaking on the subject, the coach shared his candid opinion with TSN Sports’ Mark Masters: “I have no clue. I don’t have an answer for that right now. The second period they got the puck & did whatever they wanted with it … I mean, it’s not good enough.”
Craig Berube on lack of 60-minute effort by Leafs tonight:
“I have no clue. I don’t have an answer for that right now. The second period they got the puck & did whatever they wanted with it … I mean, it’s not good enough”@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 4, 2025
The Leafs’ coach was in dismay when the team failed to respond appropriately in the second period, despite being down 2-0. “That’s all mental for me. It’s all mental for me. (pause) It’s gotta be better. That’s the bottom line,” Berube added.
It is not just Berube who is left grumbling despite the win; Nylander, who played a crucial role in cinching the victory, also expressed his frustration at the team’s poor showing against the Penguins. “It’s unacceptable. Yeah, there’s nothing more to say.”
Following the turn of events, the next time the team meets to skate, coach Berube is expected to draw upon the showdown against the Penguins for some critical lessons.