Former NHLer Accuses Leafs Coach Craig Berube of Preferential Treatment for William Nylander
Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Former NHLer Nick Kypreos has called out Leafs head coach Craig Berube for his preferential treatment of superstar winger William Nylander.
In their final game before the Christmas break, the Toronto Maple Leafs fell 5-2 to the Winnipeg Jets in a lopsided loss.
During the second period of that game, with the Leafs on an extended power-play due to a Mason Appleton high-stick that cut Morgan Rielly, William Nylander stayed out for the entire four-minute power-play and ended his shift after a whopping 4:55.
Back in October, Nylander confronted Berube about wanting more ice-time, and since that request, he has essentially been given the green light to stay out as long as he wants on power-plays.
Following their loss to the Jets, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos ripped into Berube over how he has handled Nylander's demand for more ice-time, particularly letting him stay out for almost five minutes in a losing effort.
"I didn't like Craig Berube's post-game response to that shift. I didn't like it because it gives him (Nylander) the green light to stay out there as long as he wants and there is no world that we live in today, compared to 20 years ago, there's no hockey world where a 4:45 shift is acceptable.
We're taught at a very young age that the number is somewhere between 40 seconds and a minute, minute and a half. Now, between and Craig and Willy, they get to rewrite the whole hockey shift world by saying he can stay out there as long as he likes... There's no way that's acceptable for 21 other guys."
We're taught at a very young age that the number is somewhere between 40 seconds and a minute, minute and a half. Now, between and Craig and Willy, they get to rewrite the whole hockey shift world by saying he can stay out there as long as he likes... There's no way that's acceptable for 21 other guys."
People don't agree with Kypreos often, but in this instance, many do. Yes, Nylander is considered to be the Leafs' best player this season, but that should not give him the freedom to take five-minute shifts when there were opportunities to change near the end of the four-minute power-play.
When Brad Treliving took over as general manager of the Leafs, he said he wanted to create a unity between the Leafs' 'Core Four' and the other 18 players on the roster.
Unfortunately, that divide appears to be larger than ever before with Nylander essentially being allowed to do whatever he pleases in certain game circumstances.
As the Leafs resume their season on Friday after the Christmas break, how long of a leash Nylander has following public backlash will be something to keep an eye on.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 26 | 3774 ANSWERS Former NHLer Accuses Leafs Coach Craig Berube of Preferential Treatment for William Nylander Do you think Nylander has too much freedom when it comes to his ice-time? | ||
| Way too much | 1290 | 34.2 % |
| No, he's been their best player | 1413 | 37.4 % |
| It depends on the game circumstances | 1071 | 28.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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