Each week, Toronto’s teams give us moments that cut through the noise — flashes of honesty, emotion, and personality that define where the Leafs, Raptors, and Jays stand. Here are the most telling quotes from the past week across the city’s sports pulse.
Craig Berube — Accountability Front and Center
“We all got to be better, including the goalie. Everybody.”
— After the Leafs’ 5–3 loss to the Bruins, Berube made it clear no one was off the hook, setting a tone of collective accountability.
“As much as we can, let’s make them work in their own zone. That’s a key for me tonight.”
— Before facing the Hurricanes, Berube emphasized a return to north–south hockey and winning battles below the goal line.
“Could be immaturity — not a willingness to make the easy play. Turnover after turnover cost us the game tonight.”
— Following the 5–4 loss to Carolina, Berube’s frustration was clear as defensive breakdowns erased another strong offensive night.
“If you want to be a good defensive team, you’ve got to check, have good sticks, be hard, win battles, and have structure. Right now, we don’t have any of that.”
— A blunt summary of what’s missing as Toronto searches for defensive consistency.
Darko Rajaković — Demanding Standards and Trusting the Group
“We talked at halftime that we did not play to our standard in the first half and that we can do much better.”
— After the Raptors’ comeback win over the Hawks, Rajaković credited the team’s halftime reset for sparking the second-half surge.
“He has green light to shoot the ball when he’s open.”
— On Colin Murray-Boyles’ confidence growing as a rookie contributor.
“Mechanical adjustments — yes. I’m not going to tell you those trade secrets; they stay in-house.”
— A playful but revealing moment when asked about Scottie Barnes’ improved three-point shot.
“I thought they did a really good job playing off of each other. The pace was really good.”
— Rajaković on the Raptors’ energy and ball movement in the loss to Philadelphia.
Scottie Barnes — Confidence and Leadership Emerging
“Numbers are good, but I can exceed that by a lot.”
— Barnes’ response when asked about his early-season stats — a glimpse of the high standard he sets for himself.
“If they give it to me, I want to shoot it. I’m eager to shoot it.”
— On his renewed confidence from beyond the arc and willingness to take open looks.
Joseph Woll — Grateful and Grounded
“All I’m going to say about my time away is that I’m disappointed to have missed time and very happy to be back.”
— Woll, addressing the media for the first time since his absence, kept the focus on returning to play and moving forward.
“I’ve been blown away by how much support I’ve received — from the organization, my teammates, and everyone around me.”
— The young goaltender expressing gratitude to the Leafs community.
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