BOSTON — If the Toronto Maple Leafs had managed an average power play through their first nine games, they’d likely have three more goals, which might have made the difference between their current .500 record and a winning one.
Creating chances with the man advantage, however, isn't of concern for Maple Leafs head coach Craigh Berube.
After the first period of the Leafs' 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, fans expressed frustration over a missed opportunity by forward Mitch Marner, who, instead of taking a shot on a wide-open net during a 5-on-3 advantage, chose to pass.
Berube shared similar frustrations during his media availability on Sunday, highlighting missed opportunities.
“We got two empty nets, and we don’t put them in the net. I mean, we’ve missed a lot of empty nets,” Berube noted.
Marner recorded assists on all of Toronto’s goals in their 4-3 overtime defeat against the Bruins, bringing their record to 4-4-1. Toronto’s power play now sits at 3-for-30, ranking 29th in the NHL.
He led the team in ice time with 26:12, significantly above his season average.
“I overused him last night. But with penalty kill and overtime got a little extended. And that’s on me to try to work that a little bit more,” Berube admitted. “I’ve got to not use him so much on the penalty kill, but he’s an extremely good penalty killer.”
On Saturday, the Leafs made a small adjustment to their power play units, moving Morgan Rielly back to the top unit and shifting Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the second.
When asked about the change, Berube said, “Just to see if something could happen… It’ll come. I’m confident in this team, and, you know, they’re going to get it going. They’ll get it going on the power play.”
The power play struggles may be contributing to frustration among some of the team’s top offensive players, including William Nylander, who hasn’t registered a point in three games.
When offensive production is lacking, Berube remains focused on ensuring the team sticks to its system and defensive responsibilities.
“Things creep back in. Old habits creep back in,” Berube said. “We’ve got to limit those things. Like, you know, if we do that, we’re going to be in good shape.”
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