Maple Leafs players deny pressure of playing in Toronto hurts them
'The thing about pressure is it comes from a good place, from us having fans, media and players who care.'
Article content
Craig Berube wanted his Maple Leafs to feel the pain on locker cleanout day.
The agony of defeat that comes from knowing the Eastern Conference final was picking up Tuesday, while they were packing up after a Game 7 meltdown against the Florida Panthers.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Maple Leafs players deny pressure of playing in Toronto hurts them Back to video
“It hurts, so remember that during the summer,” the coach said during a break from his exit meetings at the Ford Performance Centre. “It takes a lot to win in this league, a lot of pain through injuries, how hard you have to play and all that.
“Go home, become tougher mentally, tougher physically because you’ll need it for next year.”
Berube doesn’t want a repeat of the structural failure that doomed the Leafs in Games 5 and 7, both 6-1 losses at home, to repeat itself with the season on the line.
As to why the Leafs folded again on such a big stage, the post mortem was one of the most interesting in recent years, thanks in large part to the Panthers.
Florida coach Paul Maurice and chief Leafs antagonists Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk all sounded off about their NHL brethren skating around with anchor chains of pressure in the league’s largest market and how much better they’d play without it.
That apparently was the reason the Leafs lost a series in which they led 2-0 and have not won a Cup since 1967. Players new to Toronto were quick to dismiss it as an excuse.
“I’ve played in Canada for 14 and half of my 15 years (here, Calgary and Vancouver),” hometown defenceman Chris Tanev said. “Pressure comes with the territory.”
Max Pacioretty called performing under such glare “a privilege.”
“You probably don’t realize that when you’re in it, or you’re younger and have this many people care about how we do,” he said. “It builds winners and helps turn you into men.”
Studious goalie Joseph Woll already plays the game’s most scrutinized position.
“First of all, there’s pressure anywhere you play. The thing about pressure is it comes from a good place, from us having fans, media and players who care. It makes you have to focus more. The flip side is without that pressure, then no one cares.”
While last season saw the departure of coach Sheldon Keefe after five years, there are chances that forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares will be gone after July 1, breaking up the Core Four. That would see new blood replace them.
“That possibility has always been there,” Rielly said. “As a teammate, you want to retain as many good players as you can. It’s best not to speculate. For me it’s best to focus on how you can come back as a better version of yourself. You just want the team to be the best it can be.”
If Marner goes to another team, it will mean the top five scorers in Toronto history will have wrapped their careers elsewhere — Darryl Sittler, Dave Keon, Borje Salming all were traded, while Mats Sundin left as a UFA, which Marner now is.
X: @sunhornby
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.