Craig Berube calls out bottom-six forward for being a step behind the others

Last night, the Leafs lost their second game of the season with a 4-1 score against the New York Rangers. They weren't bad on the ice, but they faced a great team, and Igor Shesterkin, one of the best goalies in the League right now. The Russian goalie on the last year of his contract refused a contract offer that would've made him the highest-paid goalie in the NHL, and we understand why.

He stopped 34 out of the 35 shots he faced, including nine from Auston Matthews and eight from William Nylander.

However, the Leafs coach Craig Berube didn't use the Rangers' goalie as an excuse for his team's defeat during his post-game press conference.

Here's what he said:

Berube also called out a player for being a step behind the others: Pontus Holmberg.

Holmberg, 25, tallied one point (an assist) in five games with Toronto this season. Last night against the Rangers, he was limited to a mere 11:18 of ice time, a season-low for the forward.

In Berube's words:

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Holmberg going forward. If he can't find his rhythm, it wouldn't be surprising to see him sent down the AHL, to the Marlies, at some point soon. But with Chris Tanev's possible injury, Berube will likely want to have as much experience on his lineup as possible going into the next week.