Craig Berube on the Leafs coughing up the lead vs. SJ: "We turned pucks over... We were passive... We didn't finish them off"

"In the third period, we didn't come out and dictate how to play the game. We turned pucks over. We were passive. We didn't finish them off, in my opinion. It is a little bit of both - commitment and systems. I still think we are not where we need to be. We can be better. The third period, for me, showed that. The goalie is out. We have an opportunity to get the puck out a couple of times, and we don't do it. Things like that cost us in the game."

"Well, it was the best game I've seen him play in a while. He was engaged. When I see him skating, handling the puck, keeping the puck, and doing the things he did tonight with the puck, I know he was ready to go. The whole power play tonight, in general, was good. They moved it, shot it, moved it, and shot it. Things open up. The seam finally opened up, and they took advantage of it."

"I thought he was good. He was playing on his offside, too, and it was his first game. I thought he handled himself well tonight. Lower-body right now. Too soon. He has to be re-evaluated tomorrow, and we will know exactly the length of it. Oh, he has been great. He'll be missed. Hopefully, it is not too bad, but he has played great hockey for us. It is tough, for sure. It is a critical position. We all know that. It is the way it is. Another guy has to step up and play."

The Maple Leafs fell 3-2 in overtime to the San Jose Sharks, dropping to 14-11-5. A 2-0 lead slipped away after passive, turnover-prone third-period play and missed finishing chances. Defensive improvement over the past ten games reflects both increased commitment and better systems, but lapses persisted and contributed to the loss. William Nylander played strongly on a new line with Nic Roy and Dakota Joshua, showing engagement and puck skills. The power play moved and shot effectively, producing Auston Matthews' goal. Henry Thrun handled his offside debut well. Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited with a lower-body issue pending re-evaluation, and multiple defensive injuries require others to step up.

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