The Toronto Maple Leafs core players Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly will try to win a Game 7 for the first time when they host the Florida Panthers in their second-round deciding matchup on Sunday.
After going 0-for-5 in previous efforts, what might be different this time is their head coach. Craig Berube has won the most difficult Game 7 there is to win… a Stanley Cup Final when leading the St. Louis Blues on the road against the Boston Bruins back in 2019.
After staving off elimination with a 2-0 victory against the Panthers in Game 6, Berube’s message to his team was simple as they host the Panthers in front of their home crowd at Scotiabank Arena.
‘Don’t get caught up in it, do what you did in Game 6,” Berube said. “We know what to expect from Florida, and that’s a great team over there. Simplify your game. Everybody’s nervous a little bit. You just got to get the nerves out the first couple shifts. Get going. Play direct. Be direct and rely on your teammates, and that’s what you’re playing for your teammates.”
Berube saw how nervous his club was in Game 5 when they fell 6-1. It was his first real taste of the Leafs from previous years that have struggled to rise to the occasion. The good news for Toronto is there was time to recover and perhaps they may have learned from it.
“The nerves are there, but, I mean, that’s what you want. That’s what you train for during the offseason. That’s what you tell yourself you’re training for at least…to have the opportunity to play in the playoffs and play in important games that mean the most. And so we’re here now, so you want to make the most of it,” Rielly said.
Leafs record in Game 7s since 2018:
* April 25, 2018 at Boston Bruins: L 4-7
* April 23, 2019 at Boston Bruins: L 1-5
* May 31, 2021 vs. Montreal Canadiens: L 1-3
* May 14, 2022 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: L 1-2
* May 4, 2024 at Boston Bruins: L 1-3
The stakes are big. The winner will play against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Berube will give a pre-game speech like he always does. Does he plan anything special words for it or go does he improvise?
“You’re always thinking about things and what’s going to be the most important statement you can make to your team today. And that’s not only today. It’s a lot of games,” Berube said. “t doesn’t change a whole lot for me. It’s just about getting your mind right and, you know, what to expect and understanding what each individual has to do with their every shift. I think that’s the most important thing.”
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