Craig Berube reveals the true reason why he healthy scratched Max Pacioretty
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube unveils the real reason why he healthy scratched veteran forward Max Pacioretty on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Max Pacioretty was missing from warm ups before Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Kings raising concerns about his health. The veteran forward joined the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason on a PTO before earning a contract & was expected to bring veteran leadership & scoring. However with his injury history fans worried he might be dealing with another issue.
Despite the concern head coach Craig Berube quickly cleared up the situation stating that Pacioretty's absence was simply a coaching decision.
«There's no message. We have guys, we have extra players, and not everybody can play every night, that's the bottom line. He's been fine when he's played, but I gotta make decisions as a coach, and I'm gonna make those decisions what I think is best for the team.»
Pacioretty has had a solid start to the season, even being the first Maple Leaf to score this year, helping build the team's momentum. After John Tavares and William Nylander returned to the lineup, Berube decided to rest Pacioretty for the game, especially following his penalty in the previous match against Pittsburgh, which led to his benching.
The Maple Leafs didn't need Pacioretty on Wednesday, cruising to a 6-2 victory over Los Angeles with Auston Matthews breaking his goal drought.
Thankfully, Pacioretty isn't injured, and his absence was just a precautionary rest. While his injury history raised questions, there's nothing to worry about this time.
