Maple Leafs Team Notes

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Craig Berube goes full Nostradamus, correctly predicts 3-2 Team Canada win in 4 Nations Final

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube had a lot on his resume that helped him secure the job in Toronto, most notably a Stanley Cup win with the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19. Apparently his ability to see into the future was left off of that resume.

Following Leafs practice on Thursday, Berube, who hails from Calahoo, Alberta, was asked if he had any predictions for Thursday night’s Canada-USA 4 Nations Championship game. And, well:

Leafs coach Craig Berube predicting a 3-2 win tonight in #4Nations final

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) February 20, 2025

Team Canada did in fact beat Team USA, thanks to an overtime winner from Connor McDavid and set up by Toronto’s Mitch Marner.

CONNOR MCDAVID!!!! THE GAME WINNER!!! CANADA WINS THE #4NATIONS FACE-OFF pic.twitter.com/QmPPXdj9wz

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 21, 2025

Not only does this mean bragging rights for life for Berube, but he got to enjoy the fact that his star winger played an integral part in the win. For a team like the Leafs who are constantly under scrutiny for their tendency to ghost in big games, it had to have been a satisfying feeling to see Marner set up Sam Bennett for the game-tying goal and McDavid for the game-winner.

“These games are intense & playing in a game like this is very good for them both,” Berube said after practice on Wednesday, per TSN’s Mark Masters. Only one of them is going to win, but it’s just getting a taste of what it’s like”

Although Auston Matthews didn’t go home with a win, he was arguably Team USA’s best player in the final, collecting two assists of his own and creating dangerous chances for his team all night. His Leafs teammate, Chris Tanev, spoke about the importance of experiencing an environment like that mid-season and what it could mean for getting the team going when they return.

Chris Tanev on Auston Matthews & Mitch Marner facing off in #4Nations final:

"Hopefully they bring that energy back to us & sort of springboard us to where we want to get the last two months of the season"

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) February 20, 2025

The Maple Leafs will be back in action on Saturday when they host the Carolina Hurricanes, before heading to Chicago for a Sunday night tilt in the windy city. With the trade deadline looming and the second half of the season in full swing, it will be important for the Leafs to capitalize on the energy brought from Matthews and Marner’s experience and finish the season on a strong note.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/craig-berube-goes-full-nostradamus-correctly-predicts-canada-win

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Marner & Matthews deserve strong praise for the way they played in the 4 Nations Final: Leafs Morning Take

What a win, what a night.

Connor McDavid took a Mitch Marner centering pass and went top shelf on Connor Hellebuyck to a solidify a 3-2 OT win for Canada over the United States as they won the first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off.

Brought to you by Firehouse Subs, we got into a full game recap. Jordan Binnington made 31 stops, and without question, was a huge reason Canada won the game. The Blues netminder made a few big stops in OT before McDavid won it. Understandably so, a lot of our conversation was Toronto focused. Marner had two apples, so did Auston Matthews. Both Leafs players were really good, and quite honestly, that was really encouraging to see. It was a pressure cooker game and they both came to play. You love to see it! Honestly, the best-case scenario played out for Leafs fans. Their two studs played well and Canada won.

Thanks to Charm Diamond Centres, Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler dropped by the show. Unfortunately, there were some technical hiccups, but if you would like, go check it out. We asked him about Canada’s victory, Marner’s heroics, and the Leafs as we get closer and closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Then, powered by Greta Bar, we did a quick weekend preview as the Leafs return to action. On Saturday night, they will play host to Carolina before visiting Chicago on Sunday night. Do Marner and Matthews play? Who starts in between pipes? Some questions to monitor, for sure.

With all that in mind, join us on Monday at 11 AM ET for a full recap of Toronto’s weekend. Don’t forget, the NHL trade deadline is now just two weeks away.

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The first ever TLN Nation Vacation is coming, and you don’t want to miss out on this trip of a lifetime. Join us from Thursday, March 20th to Sunday, March 23rd as we take our talents to Music City to watch Toronto play Nashville. BOOK TODAY!!

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/mar...yed-in-the-4-nations-final-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Craig Berube will look to manage Matthews and Marner’s minutes as best he can vs. Hurricanes

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube will make sure he doesn’t overexert Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The two-star forwards are barely 48 hours removed from an emotional tilt between Team USA and Team Canada which ended in the latter winning the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game. With how much effort and pride Matthews and Marner, along with the other players involved, put into the tournament, it is only natural for there to be some growing pains coming out of a playoff-type game.

Berube spoke with reporters following the Leafs’ optional skate where he expressed that while he doesn’t expect any major drop-offs from the two players, he will do his best to manage Matthews and Marner’s minutes.

“They’ve been playing for sure. Timing and things like that are all set for them,” he said. “Just the emotion and the mental and physical toughness that was put into those games, especially the last one. I expect them to be fine tonight. We’ll manage them the best we can, see how they look and how they’re feeling.”

It helps that Matthews and Marner flew in from Boston together yesterday so they have had a bit of a chance to rest up a bit before the Leafs’ first game out of the 4 Nations break. At the same time, the team hits the ground running with three games in four nights, with two consecutive road games beginning on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks, before taking on the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Both players are well aware of how taxing the grind of the tournament has taken on their bodies but they are excited to get back into the swing of things with the Leafs and begin the stretch run.

“It’s been great. We flew in yesterday, we just talked about the tournament, how much fun it was, and how taxing it was on the body, and how every game wasn’t an easy one,” Marner said to reporters. “Tension was pretty high the entire competition. We just enjoyed the tournament, and have talked about how much fun it was, and talked about looking forward to getting back to Toronto, and take on bigger things now.”

William Nylander has had more time to rest compared to Matthews and Marner on account of Sweden’s tournament ending on Monday night, but he may have to make some adjustments to the pace of regular season hockey, in contrast to the rest of the team. Matthews, Marner and Nylander surely benefitted from the superior pace, which could accelerate the rest of the Maple Leafs’ season.

For now, they turn their attention to getting back into the swing of things against the Hurricanes with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/cra...hews-marner-minutes-as-best-he-can-hurricanes