Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the 2024 preseason.
On the performance of the fourth line (Lorentz – Kampf – Reaves):
They were great tonight. Very good. I know they got a goal, but they just controlled the play and made it tough on the other team by ragging pucks in the offensive zone and checking well. That’s what we need. They’re a big line.
On the state of Joseph Woll’s game entering the new season:
He made some really good saves there. There were a couple where he got [across] early in the game. He never had a lot of action, but he was solid.
On the power play’s form coming out of preseason:
They are moving the puck around well. Could we shoot a few more pucks and be a little bit more direct at times? Probably. We got two tonight on it. I thought they moved the puck around really well tonight.
On the ideal shift length for the first power-play unit:
I don’t know. I changed them with about 1:09 twice. I threw them out there with nine seconds, and they scored. It is all a feel thing. From game to game, it depends on what is going on. It is a feel thing for me.
On Auston Matthews’ performance in just his second preseason game:
He skated really well tonight. Defensively, he was excellent. He did a great job down low in our own zone at the end of the game at 6-on-5. Really good job.
He was strong on pucks and is moving well. It was good to see.
On whether Jake McCabe is nearing a return from injury:
It is a good chance. I am hoping. He was a lot better today. We will see. If he keeps improving tomorrow, maybe he can get back on the ice Monday. That would be great.
On the final roster cutdown:
Yeah, we have tough decisions for sure. I am not going to comment on them, but we have decisions to make.
Steven Lorentz on scoring in his final preseason game
Every once in a while, I can do something like that. It felt good. I blacked out a little bit there, just knowing that things have come full circle, coming to this rink as a kid and watching as a young guy, and then being able to do that and put my arms over my head. It was a pretty special feeling.
It all started with a good, hard-working shift. Hopefully, there is more of that to come.
Lorentz on his line with Ryan Reaves and David Kampf
Reavo is just a bowling ball out there. We think the same way. It is nice when you have guys who are on the same page. I know what I am going to get from him. In talking to him, he knows what he is going to get from me.
Kampfer, too. When you get three guys who are all committed to their role, good things happen. We saw that tonight.
Lorentz on whether he’s done enough to earn a contract
I am not so sure. We will see. That is out of my control. I did my part, and we will see what happens. I am happy with the way I played. It is a deep team. They have a lot of hard decisions to make, and that is a good sign. We will see.
Auston Matthews on his impressions of Steven Lorentz
He has a really solid all-around game. He plays very heavy and very direct. He knows his role to a T. He plays to it every night. It’s really important to have guys like that.
He has made a great impression off the ice. He has a great attitude and comes to the rink with a lot of jump. You always love when guys come to the rink with good energy and are ready to compete.
Matthews on Nick Robertson’s impressive preseason
He definitely took a step. It is great to see. He is one of the harder workers you’ll see. He cares so much.
I just find that he is a little bit more relaxed this year. Sometimes, when you want it so bad, it can almost be counterproductive. He wants it, and he works and competes. I just feel like he has had a bit of a different attitude in a positive way. It has shown in the games he’s played and the way he’s been able to produce.
It is great for us as a team to have a guy like him step up. He has had a bit of a bumpy road here and there, but he just continues to stick with it. It is great to see.
Matthews on Marc Savard’s approach to the power play
It is early. He has been great at showing different setups and different plays, but at the end of the day, it is about us supporting each other with all five guys all over the ice — no matter our position — and working for each other off the puck.
It is really important to read the flow and read the play as it happens. A lot of the opportunities we had came off of broken plays, hounding pucks, and getting them back. That’s really important for success on the power play.
Matthews on his readiness and the team’s readiness for the new season
It was my first game in a while, so the first period was about getting your legs under you. In the second and third periods, both individually and as a team, I thought we really started to get playing. We were more direct, had fewer turnovers, and were just hounding pucks in the offensive zone and staying on it.
It is nice to finish on a win. I thought we were doing a lot of good things there in the second half of the game. We were playing a lot more direct, and with the short change, we were able to hem them in their zone, take over shifts, and gain momentum.
It felt good. It will be nice to reset tomorrow followed by a couple of good practices before we are into it. Everyone is looking forward to it.
Joseph Woll on a full 60-minute game with only 20 shots against
Good to get back in the swing of playing and get the details back. It was a bit of a mixed game. I had a little bit of action, and some time with not much action. It was good to mentally stay in it.
You’re trying not to think too much and just stay in it. We did a great job in the second period and played a lot in their end. You’re going to get 30 or 40 shots every game. It is good to stay dialed in on these, too.
Woll on his readiness for the new season
I feel really comfortable with where my game is from a technical standpoint. I also feel pretty sound in my mind. Those are the two big things. I am happy to get going.
