Max Pacioretty benched by Craig Berube

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Axel Williams
October 13, 2024 (11:02)

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Max Pacioretty was an interesting acquisition for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the offseason as there was no real guarantee that he would even make the team.

However, the veteran goal-scorer had himself a solid training camp where he was able to prove his worth to the franchise. He even had a preseason game with two goals, and that was a huge catalyst for Craig Berube and his coaching staff to accept Pacioretty with open arms.

In his first three games of the season, Pacioretty has one goal and has been a plus one. However, last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pacioretty found himself benched in the third period. He only got about three shifts, and while the Leafs did win the game, fans were concerned about what this could mean for the veteran's role.

As Craig Berube explained after the game, there was some stagnation on offense, and he was simply trying to combat that. The team played better as the game went on, and that is all that really matters. As it pertains to Pacioretty, it remains to be seen what this will do to his ice time moving forward.

"So far it's been stagnant. We all know that. Just moving some guys around tonight. Just trying to find a spark, something different. I thought it got better in the third. Some opportunities. But we got to work on it."

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