Leafs' Craig Berube reveals how he truly feels about Max Pacioretty's physical play
Craig Berube spoke to the media about how he truly feels regarding Max Pacioretty's physical play and said it is rubbing off on the rest of the team.
At 35, an age when most professional hockey players start to slow down, Max Pacioretty is still finding ways to catch his opponents off guard. Since signing a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs after the preseason, Pacioretty has recorded two goals and four assists in his first 11 games with the team.
Outside of the goals, Pacioretty has brought some physicality into the lineup; he presently sits second in hits with 33, but he has played three fewer games than both Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz. His physical presence has been huge regarding the new style the team has adopted under head coach Craig Berube.
Pacioretty has been centering a line with John Tavares and William Nylander, combining skill and brawn. His game remains intense yet calculated. During his recent tilt against the Boston Bruins, he was originally handed a major penalty for a hit on Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke.
«I just knew it was clean,» Pacioretty said. «I was yelling. If it looked like I was frustrated, it was because I didn't know that they could overturn it.
«I thought the rule was you can reverse a five down to a two, but they got it right. It's unfortunate to see a guy get injured, never trying to do that at all.»
«I thought the rule was you can reverse a five down to a two, but they got it right. It's unfortunate to see a guy get injured, never trying to do that at all.»
Upon review, referees Pierre Lambert and Brian Pochmara rescinded the major penalty. That meant Pacioretty was allowed to finish a game that merely reinforced his biggest asset in Berube's system: an ability to skate right up to the line without stepping over it.
«I think it rubs off on the whole team,» Berube said. «It's an important part of our game, being physical. He is doing a great job of it.»
More so than the numbers, however, Max Pacioretty brings in a mix of skill and physicality that fits the evolving style under Craig Berube. His veteran presence will be huge down the stretch, and the fact that he can bring that physical element without taking unnecessary penalties is huge.
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