Call it a classic NHL playoff twist—the Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t able to capitalize after winning two games in a row, instead allowing Florida a way back in by leveling the series 2-2. “They’re doing a good job with swarming us with numbers,” said coach Craig Berube after the Florida Panthers, despite dropping their first two games to the Maple Leafs, turned the heat on Toronto. Now, with the slate wiped clean but the momentum swinging to Florida’s side, the pressure is back on them to bounce back. However, the mood around the team remained surprisingly composed because the head coach sent a powerful message ahead of Game 5.

While addressing the media on Monday morning, Berube was keeping calm. “I think the group understands it was going to be a tough series. We knew that going in, it’s going to be a long series. We lose two at home here, but you know we lost two against Ottawa in a row and came out in game six and got it done, so we got to reset. We’ll be fine. Get some rest here,” he said.

The message was clear– to stay calm and focus on what’s coming next. “I think the two days is really good for our team. It takes a lot of energy in the playoffs. A lot of guys play heavy minutes, so it’s a good day and reset and we’ll be ready for game 5.”

Well, Berube knows what he has to do to make things align properly. After he’s been through this before and bounced back while playing against the Ottawa Senators.  But he didn’t just stop there. Because Berube’s remarks following Game 4 underscored the physical and mental toll of playoff hockey. he said. While not directly pointing at the escalating physicality, his perspective did emphasize incidents on ice, such as the recent hit where Max Domi’s forceful check on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov led to a big scuffle, resulting in misconduct penalties.

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube shares his thoughts on Max Domi’s controversial hit

After the post-game tension following the Panthers’ Game 4 win, Berube was asked in his post-match interview about what he thought of Domi’s hit. Making his opinion clear, he instead pointed out an overlooked moment in the game. “To me the Kulikov hit on Marner was 10 times worse,” Berube said, expressing his frustration over what he saw as officiating inconsistency.

While the incident sparked immediate backlash, resulting in a penalty for Domi and a maximum allowable fine of $5,000, it was also followed by Matthew Tkachuk chirping at Toronto’s William Nylander, suggesting that the hit wouldn’t go forgotten in game 5.

And now that the Maple Leafs coach remains focused on composure and recovery, it looks like what happened in the past isn’t his concern anymore. Let’s see if his calm stance, in the midst of rising tempers, suggests that Toronto can channel their frustration into a strong response against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 or not.

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