Maple Leafs HC delivers brutally honest take on team’s performance despite win over Rangers

The Toronto Maple Leafs won 3-2 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday. However, head coach Craig Berube was not fully satisfied with the team's performance. Despite winning four straight games and seven of their last eight, Berube expected more from his players.

In the postgame press conference, Berube said Toronto spent too much time in its own zone and needed to play more in the offensive end.

“A little lackluster, in my opinion, but we found a way to get a win,” Berube said (via mapleleafshotstove.com). “I didn’t think we generated enough offensively or got to our game tonight with our forecheck and our hard play down low in the offensive zone. It was in and out too quickly. We spent too much time in our own end.”

Berube praised the penalty kill and defensive effort but said the team needs better puck management.

"The penalty killing was really good. The goaltending was really good. I thought our D battled hard back there. We didn’t do enough with the puck. We did a lot of good things defensively tonight. We blocked shots, and our sticks were good.

"We kept a lot of their shots on the outside, in my opinion, but we have to get up ice and play. We have to get our forecheck going. It is a big part of our game and has been all year. It just wasn’t there tonight," Berube added.

The Maple Leafs now have 37 wins, 20 losses, and 2 overtime losses. The team plays next against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 1:00 PM EST on March 2.

Anthony Stolarz’s big saves helped the Maple Leafs secure a 3-2 win over the Rangers

Matthew Knies scored the game-winning goal early in the third period. Mitch Marner intercepted Igor Shesterkin’s clearing attempt behind the net. Auston Matthews passed to Knies, who shot over Shesterkin’s blocker for the lead.

The Rangers pressured hard in the final minutes after pulling Shesterkin for an extra skater. Toronto struggled to clear the zone, icing the puck several times. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz made 33 saves to secure the win. William Nylander praised Stolarz for his big stops.

“Stolarz, he’s on fire,” Nylander said (via NHL.com). “Just the way he stopped shots today, stood on his head and made some really big saves at key times for us.”

The Maple Leafs' offense had its moments but lacked sustained pressure. Nylander’s second-period goal, confirmed by video review, gave the Maple Leafs a 2-1 lead. However, turnovers kept the Rangers in the game.

Nicholas Robertson lost the puck early in the third, leading to Will Cuylle’s shorthanded goal that tied the game. The Rangers, who had won three of their last four, believed they played well enough to win.