Craig Berube gives brutally honest answer why he ripped his players apart in blowout win

Despite the fact that the Leafs beat the Los Angeles Kings in blowout fashion, Craig Berube called a timeout and chewed his players out. He's finally explained why.

On Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Los Angeles Kings by a score of 6-2. The Leafs, coming out of the gates flying, took a quick 5-0 lead before mailing it in and allowing two straight goals to the Kings. The visitors suddenly had some momentum. Suddenly, after dominating early, the Leafs' loss of focus had the potential to allow Los Angeles back into the game.

Fed up with the dip in intensity from his team, head coach Craig Berube took a 30-second timeout. With no mincing of words, a couple of choice cuss words were part of his pep talk, he severely admonished his players for the obvious lack of effort. His message was clear: he wanted more from his team, even with the comfortable lead.

The eruption had an immediate impact. Toronto tightened up after the berating by Berube and the Kings didn't find the net again. The Leafs held firm and took the 6-2 victory, showing they can take and respond to hard coaching.

On Thursday, Berube elaborated on why he decided to light into his players. He inferred what led to the passionate timeout: no matter the score, the guys have to stay focused and play hard throughout the whole 60 minutes of the game. The moment defined what Berube expected from his squad going forward.

Craig Berube is an old-school, tough coach, and the players seem to be buying in. His no-nonsense style is exactly what Leafs fans have been hoping to see, and if the players continue to respond to his leadership, it could be a fun season in Toronto.

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