Craig Berube addressed the media after his team’s 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers, which dropped the Maple Leafs’ record to 27-25-11.
On where the game got away from the team:
On the first shift of the third period, we just didn’t come out with the intensity and directness that we needed. We shot ourselves in the foot.
It’s been a few times that this has happened. For 40 minutes, we were good. The second period was really good. But we weren’t ready to roll in the third to play the right way and win the game.
On whether all the losing is affecting the players’ psyche:
Whether it is or not, we are pros. We all have to do our job. You have to stick with the plan. We don’t, and this is what happens.
We gave up odd-man rushes in the third. We didn’t give up one the whole game. And then we give up two or three in the third period, and it is in our net a couple of times.
In the third period, it is just a commitment to doing things hard and blocking shots. We didn’t do it, and they scored.
On his current level of frustration:
I am definitely frustrated and pissed off. The games are right there. We don’t push as a team hard enough to win them.
They have completely, and rightfully, tuned this guy right out. pic.twitter.com/dRwvsAXl1g
— Anthony Petrielli (@APetrielli) March 6, 2026
On whether the team gives up when something difficult transpires in the game:
I don’t think it’s giving up. I think something happened quickly tonight. I am not going to go back through all the games, but it happened quickly tonight. Yeah, they scored a goal, but we need a big shift on the next one. We need to put some pressure on them.
They got another one. We did dumb things. Again, we didn’t sacrifice enough in the third period to win the hockey game.
On the early pull of Joseph Woll for the extra attacker at 5-2:
It was five minutes and something left. We had a faceoff. You’re trying to get a quick one. You never know.
I am not going to give up. I’m not going to do that. That’s why I did it.
