OTTAWA – David Perron is having a cringe-inducing case of déjà vu.
The Ottawa Senators winger received the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues again in 2019 when head coach Craig Berube was calling the pictures.
A tough-nosed, north-south, competitive-at-all-times strategy helped that group overcome a disastrous begin to the season and finally hoist hockey’s holy grail.
Berube has appeared go away an identical mark on the Toronto Maple Leafs throughout his first season accountable for a gifted roster with loads of playoff scars from failures previous.
The Senators have shortly came upon this iteration of their provincial rival is completely different — and Perron sees Berube’s fingerprints in every single place.
Toronto has a 3-0 stranglehold on Ottawa within the groups’ best-of-seven first-round playoff collection. The Battle of Ontario began with a 6-2 opening-night blowout earlier than a pair of 3-2 extra time selections with razor-thin margins.
“I see quite a lot of similarities,” Perron mentioned Friday morning at Canadian Tire Centre of the Blues and Leafs. “At instances they’ve a capturing lane they usually simply drive the puck a bit deeper. They delay, they dangle onto it.”
That degree of composure is one other space Berube, who was fired in St. Louis final season and employed by Toronto in Might, has preached since arriving on the town.
“The sport is probably not going your manner on a regular basis,” Berube mentioned. “You might not suppose you’ve got the puck sufficient. However we keep affected person, we preserve doing our job defensively and checking … then it lastly comes round a bit bit and also you get your alternatives.”
Associated Movies
It’s a giant motive why Toronto holds a 3-0 collection lead for the primary time since 2001 and is a mixed 16-2-1 over its previous 19 regular-season and playoff video games.
“There’s going to be breakdowns,” Berube continued. “The additional effort that’s wanted — the second and third effort you want — I feel we’ve obtained quite a lot of that occurring.”
Get each day Nationwide information
Get the day’s prime information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
A serious challenge in previous playoff setbacks, the Leafs’ energy play has gone 5-for-9 this spring, whereas the penalty kill has been regular and goaltender Anthony Stolarz owns a .926 save share.
“So enjoyable to be part of this group,” mentioned Toronto defenceman Brandon Carlo, acquired from the Boston Bruins forward of the NHL commerce deadline. “After we do make errors, everyone else goes to select it up. Everyone’s working collectively. The method has been actually nice. The camaraderie has been superior.
“This group is particular.”
Groups up 3-0 in best-of-seven NHL playoff collection personal a 207-4 all-time file, however Senators ahead Claude Giroux was a part of a Philadelphia Flyers outfit that dug out of that gap to beat Boston in seven video games in 2010.
“What’s the historical past saying?” Perron requested with a bit grin. “Not nice, however we’re going to attempt to flip that at some point at a time. That’s the one manner we will focus.”
The Leafs definitely don’t need to give the Senators any life. Toronto blew a 3-1 result in the Montreal Canadiens in a devastating first-round loss in 2021, and understands the power a bunch can get from a pair wins after forcing Sport 7 in opposition to the Bruins final spring after trailing 3-1.
“It’s all the time a piece in progress,” Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly mentioned. “We’re not getting carried away with something.”
The longest-tenured member of the roster added the model Berube put in in coaching hasn’t modified a lot for the reason that calendar flipped to the playoffs.
“We’re attempting to construct our sport,” Rielly mentioned. “Now we have areas that we attempt to give attention to. Guys really feel fairly snug, so we’re simply chipping away.”
That’s by design.
“It’s the mentality that it’s good to construct all through the season to get to this degree,” Berube mentioned. “For those who don’t do it throughout the common season, it’s exhausting to show the change on. I wished to essentially get that identification throughout to our group instantly.”
He was requested about Perron evaluating the Blues of six years in the past to the present Leafs. The groups have completely different talent units — St. Louis grinded opponents into submission, Toronto has extra high-end expertise — however he agreed there are parallels.
“It’s all in regards to the gamers shopping for into what you need to do,” Berube mentioned. “Our gamers have performed a superb job of shopping for into that. However there are similarities within the model of play, for positive, that we performed in St Louis.”
Perron skilled it first-hand. Now he’s witnessing Berube’s affect from a special vantage level — and never having fun with the view.
“I do see some stuff that pops in my head,” he mentioned. “And I do know the place it comes from.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 25, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Source link