Craig Berube scapegoats one Toronto Maple Leafs player after slow start to the NHL season
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 3-2-0 mark through five games, and now Head Coach Craig Berube has singled out Pontus Holmberg's start to the year.
After so many changes this off-season, the Toronto Maple Leafs come into the 2024/25 season with the weight of the world on their shoulders, and while some are calling out Craig Berube for his moves this summer, the team look solid through a 3-2-0 start to the season. However, the team suffered their worst loss of the season over the weekend, falling 4-1 to the New York Rangers at home, and while there's no reason to panic just yet, Berube is clearly making his mark on the new team.
When asked about the start to the season, Berube opted to single out young forward Pontus Holmberg, who he believes has looked a step slow through the first five games of the year.
With the newfound depth that the Maple Leafs have, they've scratched Max Pacioretty for two straight games, but given Berube's comments, it's easy to assume that Holmberg may face a similar fate in favour of the veteran moving forward. This is a luxury that Toronto haven't exactly had in recent years under Sheldon Keefe, and with the Stanley Cup winning Berube leading the way, he clearly knows what strings to pull to get the best out of his players.
To start the new week, Toronto face a back-to-back with Tampa Bay and Columbus, so it may be a split for Pacioretty and Holmberg in that time, but for now the performance of the 25-year old who has just one assist this season is something to monitor.
