Yahoo Sports Capitals Head Coach Spencer Carbery Perfectly Describes What Is Different About The Craig Berube-Led Maple Leafs
Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.There's been a lot of talk about how different the Toronto Maple Leafs are under head coach Craig Berube this season.
Someone who has a great perspective of how the club played before the 2019 Stanley Cup champion came to Toronto is Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery.
Related: Maple Leafs Assistant Spencer Carbery Named New Head Coach of the Washington Capitals
The Washington bench boss pointed out two key aspects of how the Leafs play under Berube.
"The forecheck pressure, obviously, you're going to have to work your way through that because you know that they're going to put a ton of pucks in behind you. And so it may seem like an easy accomplishment to just, oh, okay, we'll just break their forecheck pressure. But when they do it time and time and time again, eventually, they're just hoping that you crack one or two times. So we have to stay consistent with our breakout structure, supporting it, finding ways to advance out of our zone."
Carbery highlighted the defensive additions of Chris Tanev, signed to a six-year, $27 million contract by the Leafs in the summer, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, signed to a four-year, $14 million contract in the summer as personnel that has changed the Leafs.
"They defend the interior of the rink as good as anybody. Like I know a lot of people talk about the goalies and they're having great years, but a lot of that, when I watched the film, is them protecting the inside of the rink. And it is so hard to get in there, A, with people, but B, to get pucks delivered into there. And so they really push you to have to earn your offense against them five-on-five."
Under Berube, the Leafs have transformed into one of the league's better defensive teams when offense had previously been their calling card. Toronto ranks seventh in the NHL in average goals against per game (2.78) through games played on Dec. 27, 2024.
Carbery is in his second season with the Capitals behind the bench after previously spending two years as an assistant head coach under Sheldon Keefe, who is now with the New Jersey Devils.
The Leafs and Capitals wrap up their regular-season series of three games on Saturday with Washington taking three out of a possible four points, including a 3-1 victory at Scotiabank Arena back on Dec. 6.
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