Craig Berube Appears to Have a New Favourite Player on the Maple Leafs' Roster
We often hear about a player being in the coach's doghouse, but one Leafs player may have emerged as Craig Berube's favourite player in Toronto.
The Toronto Maple Leafs head into the New Year on a high note, coming off of a hard-fought 3-1 victory against the New York Islanders Tuesday, led by an incredible performance from Joseph Woll, who stopped 30 of 31 shots on target.
Woll stayed in the game after tweaking something while making a save. Another player who played through an injury was veteran defenseman Chris Tanev.
Tanev took a puck to the face in the win, and was clearly in discomfort and bloodied from the shot. However, after going to the locker room briefly, Tanev returned just a few minutes later, showcasing his tremendous heart and toughness.
Berube revealed to the media after the win that he knew Tanev would return, based on the type of player he is.
Berube also praised Tanev for how special a player he is and the importance of his role on the team moving forward:
It seems pretty clear who the teacher's pet in Toronto is. Tanev is any coach's dream, and Berube seems like he understands how lucky he is to have him.
Tanev currently leads the NHL in blocked shots with 106, and he's also one of the hardest players to play against, always defensively reliable, a sentiment Berube often echoes to his team.
Tanev's durability this season has been invaluable for a Maple Leafs team that has been hit hard by injuries. Fortunately, he wasn't seriously hurt last week when he suffered a lower-body injury, that caused him to miss a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Maple Leafs will gear up for a rematch with the New York Islanders tomorrow, where Tanev will undoubtedly be the toughest defender for the Islanders to contend with.
