The Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Florida Panthers by a score of 2-0 in Game 4 to even the East Semifinals playoff series at two games apiece. Despite the overwhelming advantage in shot attempts, coupled with an overwhelming advantage in puck possession, the Maple Leafs couldn’t find a crack through the door throughout the night.
At the other end, the Panthers made good on their sparse opportunities. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe came alive on the offense for Florida as Sergei Bobrovsky played a standout game that locked up the victory.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wasn’t shy in the post-game press, having positive and negative points to discuss. Although he complimented their efforts, he also did not miss the costly penalties that put unnecessary momentum in the hands of Florida.
Craig Berube Calls for Smarter Play as Maple Leafs Gear Up for Crucial Game 5
Game 4 between the Maple Leafs and Panthers was another one for Toronto to digest. They threw everything at it — playing hard, throwing their bodies around, and proving they’re not going down without a fight.
However, small errors formed quite a significant difference. A couple of preventable penalties, such as hooking and interference, put the Panthers on extra opportunities, and in a playoff game, that’s all it takes to change the momentum.
This is what Berube admitted in his post-game comments. He had nice words for the team’s effort and physicality, but noted that they will have to play smarter. He knows his players are playing as hard as they can, but in a series like this, staying out of the penalty box may be what pushes his team over the top. The message is clear:
“We don’t need to take those [stick penalties], the hooking, and the interference. We will be smarter than that. In the end, I really liked our physicality and compete out there. The guys played hard. It is a tough series. They are a very good team. We know that. It is a battle,” said Berube after the Game 4 loss to the Panthers.
Berube Might Change Potential Lineup Ahead of Game 5
Berube is not ruling anything out after a tough Game 4 loss for the Maple Leafs at the hands of the Panthers. With the series on the line, Berube left no doubt in his postgame comments that the staff will be looking at everything to position the team to win. For sure, we will talk about it.
”We will look at a couple of different options for what is best for the team. We have a couple of days to think about it and see if we feel that it is a better option” Berube said, alluding to a shakeup.
The Maple Leafs now have some days to regroup, where they can sit and think about how to get out of this farce. Berube stressed that the team would make good use of the downtime to not only rest but also study if new combinations or entirely different strategies should be employed.
If that happens to involve shuffling the faces at forward, mixing up the defensive pairs, or giving someone new a try, the gameday preparation banter for fans will certainly include at least a few tactical discussions as Toronto prepares to face a must-win scenario.