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Auston Matthews sounds off about his bench altercation with Craig Berube

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Samer Dagher
October 25, 2024 (6:56 PM)

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Photo credit: Toronto Star

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews opens up about his bench altercation with head coach Craig Berube on Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues.

The Leafs took a tough loss to St. Louis & the former Blues coach Craig Berube didn't hold back directing some heated words toward Leafs captain Auston Matthews.

During the game, as the Leafs trailed 5-1, Berube was seen in an intense exchange with Matthews, sparking questions about his message. Was this just frustration or was Berube trying to motivate Matthews?

Known for his straight forward approach Berube isn't afraid to get on players even stars like Matthews. Sometimes this kind of direct criticism can help a player refocus & bring more intensity to the ice. Matthews as the team leader may take this as a call to step up his game defensively.

However, there's a potential downside to this tough-love approach. Matthews is a skilled, composed player who leads more by action than by anger, so public criticism might be counterproductive, potentially affecting team chemistry. Not all players respond well to such direct tactics, and it could add unwanted pressure.

After the game Matthews was calm about the incident

"I mean, I don't know. I mean, it's hockey. You get yelled at sometimes. Coach yells. You just kind of take it as it goes," Matthews said. "I don't know. There's obviously an impact. We obviously all respect him and his presence and everything on the bench. Yeah, so it's not anything you take personally."

His response suggests he understands where Berube was coming from even if it's not his preferred style of feedback.

Mitch Marner who is Matthews frequent linemate also seemed to understand Berube's point agreeing the team needed to improve puck management & play tighter as a unit.

"I mean, you're pissed off if you're on the ice against a goal. So, you're already pissed off," Marner said. "We need to be more direct with that puck. We need to be better with it. We've got to be at the five as a unit, and, you know, you expect it when you get back it wasn't the prettiest of plays out of the five guys on the ice."

Moving forward it will be interesting to see if Berube's approach fuels Matthews' game or risks affecting locker room dynamics.

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25 OCTOBRE \| 90 ANSWERS Auston Matthews sounds off about his bench altercation with Craig Berube Do you think Auston Matthews will put up career numbers with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season?
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