Berube coaching style

[kjazz]

With all the rumours of Berube and the Leafs, I'm trying to get a sense of Berube's coaching style. I've done a quick search around the Net, and haven't found anything yet that gives any detail. I know he turned things around when he came on board and they won the cup, but I saw some suggestion he benefited from a hot goalie rather than anything he did.

I'm curious to hear people's thoughts are on his style --- Offense, defense, forecheck, etc.

[Pengwin7]

Berube is known as a tough-guy/gritty type.
People don't change from their playing days to their coaching days.
"Win battles". That's probably his type.

Similar to US politics... he's a guy that will seem to "work" if the previous coach seemed "soft" (ie "Skill-centric" vs "Battle-centric").
[I don't want to talk US politics - but as a Canadian - it seems the US govt just flip-flops every 4-8 years when people think "different" will be "better" - this cuts both ways, consistently.]

So Berube succeeded with his cup in following Yeo.
For some reason, the players responded.
[If you have a "grit" style coach, see: Tortorella, then all the players have to do is "show effort" - and sometimes that actually results in scoring, too!]
I mean... Jordan Binnington seems like he should be Berube's son.

Sometimes - though - I think players respond in fear/reaction because they, too, are under-microscope for not playing well under coach.
Sometimes... any coaching change turns into "Would you effin try?... You lost a man his job."

I'm not a Berube fan.
He's part of the old-guard.
I don't see him being a good coach in modern NHL.



Anyways... from the linked article:
And Berube’s message — get the puck down low and play a heavy game — is a contrast from Yeo’s plan of making the Blues a speedier team. Clearly, it was the right move.

[kjazz]

Thx. Sounds like someone Treliving would like. I found this comment on reddit

I think Berube coaches a certain style of team VERY WELL, and I think he'll only be unemployed for as long as he wants to be. Some team will sign him, and they'll be very hard to beat.

On the flip side, this current team is not the smash and bang Blues team of 2019, and I think that's a huge part of their struggles. This team is skilled, fast and likes to attack off the rush. I don't know if Berube was the right guy to steer them to success. If we can get a coach who understands their strengths, I think this team can really surprise some people.

Doesn't bode well without a significant makeover.

[kjazz]

This article talks about Berube trying an aggressive forecheck in STL, something I think the Leafs could do really well and wish Keefe had used more. The last few games vs Bos saw the 3rd/4th line causing some havoc to Bruins when they tried a forecheck.

[Pengwin7]

^Yeah... as for Toronto... Babcock was a hard-nosed coach... Keefe was more of a player's/skill coach... so fans are probably going to be considering wanting a flip to feel like next year will be "different".
Berube definitely feels/seems different from Keefe.

Grass is always greener on the other side.

[2014olympicgold]

The Leafs only need from their head coach that is different from Keefe is the ability to hold his assistants and players more accountable. A style change isn't really needed. Just a coach who will hold his assistants accountable (and not run the same PP CONSTANTLY), and a coach who will know when players are going and not going.

Keefe took a defensive core his whole time here that was bottom 10 probably in the league each yr talent wise and made them top 15 always. A new coach and style offensively could kill destroy that defense. Straight up an effective PP has this team probably battling for 1st in their division this season, and definitely getting them past Boston.

Whoever hired Boucher, and let him still "cook" that PP (especially past March) should be publicly fired by Steve Dangle (the most embarrassing thing I could think of).

[kjazz]

Keefe took a defensive core his whole time here that was bottom 10 probably in the league each yr talent wise and made them top 15 always. A new coach and style offensively could kill destroy that defense. Straight up an effective PP has this team probably battling for 1st in their division this season, and definitely getting them past Boston.

I agree with a lot of that. I have a constant debate with a buddy aboout the D. He keeps bitching about how bad the D is, and comparing it to other teams D, I keep pointing out they've been top 10 (top 7?) consistently in goals against the past few years, and it's definitely not from the goaltending! I think you're right that Keefe should get credit for that. And yeah, there's no reason the PP should have been so bad. None.

Keefe's system clearly works, and it's resulted in 100+ pt seasons. I think where he fails is his inability to adapt on the fly, and he's susceptible to getting out-manouvered by a better coach.