Craig Berube’s willingness to shuffle the deck deserves praise

This has been a difficult season for the Leafs head coach, as it’s clear the Maple Leafs haven’t necessarily found their identity. There are a number of struggling bodies on the ice in different facets of their lineup, and Berube has tried several moves over the first few weeks to find a sweet spot for his hockey club. Ideally, the team works hard, knows what their team is all about, and Berube only has to make minor adjustments, but that has not been the case at all this season. It seems like the Leafs have come out flat and without a sense of urgency several times.

Initially it was Max Domi on the right wing of the top line, which didn’t work, and Berube wasn’t afraid to change that. Domi entered Monday’s game as a center on the fourth line. With just three points in his last eleven games, Berube didn’t really have much of a choice. On the other hand, Nick Robertson gets a top-six look, one that many believe has been deserved for a long time. It’s paying off as Robertson has scored five points in his last four games and now has seven points in thirteen games this season. Robertson has been playing well over 15 minutes of ice time per game over the last few games, and he is making the most of it.

Matias Maccelli, who after Domi got a look at the top guns, was a healthy villain on Monday night, as it has become quite clear early this season on Berube: if he likes your bike and your fight in battle, you will be rewarded, but if he doesn’t like your efforts night in and night out, you will be in a carton eating popcorn in the press box. Berube’s lines have been short this season and it feels like that won’t change anytime soon. And look what happened. Maccelli returned to the lineup Wednesday night against Utah and scored the winning goal.

Berube gave Cowan a chance to shine

While some coaches would bury their top prospects on their American Hockey League roster after a few bad games, Berube has given Easton Cowan every opportunity to shine this season. Don’t let the fact that Cowan was recently traded to the Toronto Marlies detract from the fact that he earned the trust of his head coach in his short time with the team. As much as he needed some seasoning with the Marlies, his demotion was more due to the fact that the Maple Leafs had a completely healthy lineup.

Cowan, 20, scored his first NHL goal in a win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and Berube not only gave him a second-line assignment but also a spot on the team’s first power-play unit against the Penguins. It was great to see ‘Cowboy’ rewarded by Berube and given a bigger role with the hockey club, as these types of auditions are not easy to come by on most teams, especially under the bright lights of Toronto.

Cowan’s scored four points in ten games this season. His hockey IQ is off the charts and his ability to play in tight spaces. It’s only a matter of time before he consistently lights up the scoresheet.

Berube’s willingness and openness to opportunities is something that will take this hockey club in a positive direction as he is not set in his ways but lets his creative juices flow. It seems like once Toronto fully understands what kind of hockey team they are and can clean up the second period, they will be on a huge winning streak at some point.

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