Craig Berube suggests he can’t make the Maple Leafs show up wholeheartedly after the latest Senators loss

After back-to-back losses to the Florida teams, followed by an embarrassing showing on home ice against the Ottawa Senators, who led them by one point in the standings heading into that game, the Leafs certainly appear to have no answer anymore. If no one else, it seems head coach Craig Berube is.

When asked how his players can produce the pride they need to put together a miraculous run in the final months of the season, Berube made a telling gesture when it comes to where the team currently stands.

“I can’t give the boys this or this, and they have to come with that,” Berube said, pointing to his heart and then to his head. “That has to be up to them, they have to bring the heart and the competitiveness that is needed, and it’s all a little thing. They have to bring that, they have to want to bring that. We can bring the X’s and Os and I can go in there and yell and scream at them all I want, that doesn’t do anything either.”

The Maple Leafs’ playoff chances were already looking bleak after the break, but despite all the abuses of the season so far, there was still a glimmer of hope that they could use their three straight wins going into the break as momentum to keep going. After all, Berube’s 2019 Cup-winning St. Louis Blues team was a product of simply getting hot at the right time (and other things, like a hot goalie. Sound familiar?). But after losing these three games, and in the manner in which they did, the Leafs are approaching malpractice territory if they don’t take a seller’s approach at the deadline.

“It’s certainly concerning,” Berube told reporters when asked about their back-to-back losses after the break. “It really comes down to being simple and direct, which we’re not at the moment. We want the easy ice and there’s no easy ice anywhere in any game.”

Despite the team looking like they are at the lowest point of a season full of lows, Berube insists the team hasn’t given up on him or each other.

“No, they haven’t stopped. I don’t think so, I’m not worried about that.”

The Maple Leafs have three games left before the March 6 trade deadline.

PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SPECIAL