Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube didn’t mince words Tuesday night, openly criticizing his top line after a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, saying the trio of Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Max Domi has failed to generate consistent offensive pressure.
Berube’s frustration boiled over in his post-game remarks, where he bluntly assessed the group’s lack of impact. “It’s obviously not good enough. I don’t feel like they have any sustained pressure in the offensive zone,” he said. “I’m getting tired of it, to be honest with you.”
Through the first seven games of the season, Toronto has struggled to find the right mix alongside Matthews, who has scored four goals but has yet to find the kind of chemistry that defined his partnership with longtime linemate Mitch Marner. With Marner now in Las Vegas, the Leafs are still searching for a reliable top-six replacement to complement their captain.
Knies has been one of the few bright spots, showing flashes of poise and physicality, but Domi, who has just one goal and one point in seven games, has not provided the offensive spark Toronto envisioned when he was elevated to the top line. Rookie Easton Cowan has also been given a look, appearing in four games and recording a single assist before being scratched against New Jersey.
The lack of production was glaring on Tuesday, as the Devils erased an early Toronto lead with four goals in the second period. The Matthews line was held off the scoresheet entirely, finishing a combined minus-6 on the night.
Life without Marner
The absence of Marner looms large. For years, the Matthews-Marner duo was among the NHL’s most dynamic pairings, combining elite playmaking with finishing ability. Without that connection, Matthews has been forced to adapt to new wingers, and so far, the results have been uneven.
“There’s a lot of guys that played a good hockey game tonight. They did a lot of good things,” Berube said. “But we don’t have enough of them. And if we don’t have everybody going and on the same page and doing the right things, that’s what we’re going to look like.”
Aside from the Matthews line, Toronto’s offseason additions have failed to leave much of an impact.
Matias Maccelli scored his first goal on Tuesday, but has only two points in seven games with five shots. Dakota Joshua, acquired from Vancouver, has one assist and is now a minus-6, while Nicolas Roy, who was part of the Marner sign-and-trade from Vegas, has two points and six shots on goal.
The Leafs have two days off before travelling to Buffalo on Friday night for a back-to-back that will see the two play on Saturday in Toronto.