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Craig Berube confirms what's changed after the firing of Marc Savard


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Alexander Cole
December 29, 2025  (1:53 PM)
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Dec 18, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube (L) and assistant coach Derek Lalonde (R) look on from behind the bench against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Capital One Arena.
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After firing Marc Savard, the Toronto Maple Leafs brought in Steve Sullivan, and as you are about to read, Craig Berube is already noticing a difference.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a difficult go of things this season, and one of their weak points has been the team's power play.
Marc Savard was in charge of the power play, and just last week, the Leafs ended up firing him in a move that many felt was long overdue.
Steve Sullivan was brought up from the Toronto Marlies as his replacement, and so far, he has been exactly what the doctor ordered.
Against the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs' power play hit a new stride, and against the Detroit Red Wings, they scored again.

Craig Berube speaks on the Maple Leafs' new mentality

The media wants to know what's changed and how Sullivan has managed to turn things around for the Maple Leafs. As Craig Berube explains, it all comes down to the fact that both the staff and players have started executing and changing their mentality.
Combination of both. Execution, just a different mindset.
This is a pretty vague response, but it definitely shows that there was a disconnect between Marc Savard and the rest of the Maple Leafs.
His way of doing things was not working. Now, he is gone, and we are seeing Auston Matthews play a whole lot better than he has in a while.
Clearly, this is a move that has galvanized the team, and now, they are looking to take full advantage going forward.
Only time will tell whether or not the Maple Leafs can make this stick, or if all of this is just one giant placebo effect.
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Craig Berube confirms what's changed after the firing of Marc Savard

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