Stars' DeBoer: Leafs playing 'totally different' in first season under Berube
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With just over a third of the 2024-25 NHL regular season in the books, the Toronto Maple Leafs have played to a 19-10-2 record and are pacing the Atlantic Division in their first year under head coach Craig Berube.
With Toronto visiting Dallas for a matchup with the Stars on Wednesday night, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer has taken note of the success Berube’s new-look Leafs have had to this point in the season.
DeBoer joined TSN1050’s OverDrive and shared the changes he’s seen in Toronto’s style of play, and how the 2019 Stanley Cup champion has been able to get the best out of his new team.
“Totally different,” said DeBoer on the Leafs under Berube. “We were diving into some of the analytics today at the rink, and it’s amazing how they’ve transformed from, what I would have called a rush team over the last few years that thrived on turnovers, to a team that is really solid in the offensive zone, and a forecheck team.
“A much more direct game, a lot more of a slot presence in the offensive zone, scoring goals that way.”
DeBoer has a history of facing Berube-led teams, with the pair each spending the last half-decade coaching against each other in the Western Conference.
In 2016, DeBoer’s San Jose Sharks triumphed over Berube and the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final, before eventually falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.
“You can see his fingerprints on their game. From a game-planning perspective, we’ve got to be aware of that,” DeBoer said. “On the flip side, they’re always going to have that rush element to them, especially with [Auston] Matthews and [Mitch] Marner and [Willam] Nylander in the lineup. So that’s always going to be a dangerous piece of their game.”
DeBoer, a native of Dunnville, Ont., will get the chance to work with Marner on Jon Cooper’s Team Canada staff at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Marner, set to play in his first best-on-best international tournament for Canada, is Toronto’s leading scorer this season with 41 points.
The Thornhill, Ont., native is on pace to finish the regular season with 108 points in what would be a new career-high for the 27-year-old winger. He is in the last season of a six-year, $65.4 million contract, and is set for unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the campaign.
“I’m really excited about working with our group,” DeBoer shared. “I think most of our attention would be focused on our group, trying to get our group up to speed...to play a team game as quickly as possible.”
Wednesday’s game will serve a reunion as Chris Tanev makes his return to the Lone Star state after helping the Stars to the Western Conference Final last season.
“One of my favourite players that I got the opportunity to coach last year on our run to the Conference Final,” said DeBoer about Tanev. “Looking forward to seeing him and hopefully catching up with him for a minute."
Tanev’s negotiating rights were traded to Toronto just before free agency opened on July 1, with general manager Brad Treliving eventually inking the 34-year-old blueliner to a six-year, $27 million deal, reuniting the pair from their days with the Calgary Flames.
“I was a huge fan of him and his game, and we were sorry to see him leave Dallas, but I see his impact on the Leafs and how they’re defending really clearly,” DeBoer said. “Not surprised either by his success.”