After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the workload split in net, the team’s second power-play unit, and preparation for the season opener in Montreal on Wednesday.
October 8 Practice Lines
Forwards
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Tavares – Nylander
Pacioretty – Holmberg – Robertson
Lorentz – Kampf – Reaves
Extra: McMann, Dewar
Defensemen
Rielly – Tanev
OEL – McCabe
Benoit – Timmins
Liljegren – Myers
Hakanpaa (LTIR)
Goaltenders
Woll
Stolarz
Absent (LTIR): Jarnkrok, Mermis
What is your sense of Joseph Woll’s game ahead of the opener?
Berube: Solid. A lot of good practices, and he was solid in practice.
How do you approach the workload between Woll and Anthony Stolarz early in the season? Do you have a set idea of how it is going to go?
Berube: We do. It is always mapped out but subject to change. Things happen.
Are you a win-and-stay-in guy with goaltenders?
Berube: It is a feel thing. You have to go off of workload, back-to-back-games, and so on. Some scenarios come up, but if you’re winning, there is a good chance you’ll stay in.
For the first start, was it an easy call to give it to Woll?
Berube: Did I give it to someone? I never mentioned anything, but whatever. I am not jumping to conclusions or anything. We will see tomorrow. Today is today.
The division features a lot of good goaltenders. With the little experience that they have where do you see your two goalies matching up against the others in the Atlantic?
Berube: I understand what you’re saying. Stolarz has won a Cup and been around. He was the backup, but he has been in the league for a while and has pretty good experience in that role. Woll — not as much, but he has come in and played pretty well in big games for the Leafs.
It is a tandem that is going to see more net than they have in the past.
With Woll, how much is what has happened in the past with the injuries circumstantial, and how much is it who he is?
Berube: That is in the past. I really can’t comment on that. I was not here. Not being here, not being around it, and not being involved in it makes it hard to answer that question.
Would you have studied it?
Berube: I have studied and looked at it, but it is still hard to determine what went on exactly and where the guy was at with the time with the injury. There is a lot that goes into it.
I am not going to focus on that. I am going to focus on the future.
There were goalies who would play every night no matter what condition they were in, and then there are guys who have to be perfect or close to perfect. Will you guys be determining where your guys fall on that scale as the season starts?
Berube: Definitely, we have to look at how the person is feeling, where he is at mentally, and where he is at physically to make decisions as to who is going to be in the net.
We know all about the team’s first power-play unit and what it can do. What do you think about your second power-play unit?
Berube: There are guys out there who can do the job and score goals. There is experience on that power play with Pacioretty, Domi, and Ekman-Larsson. There is big Knies at the net.
It is a shooting unit for me. They have to get pucks to the net. How much time they have (left) on the power play will determine how much urgency they need to have early on. But there are some good shooters on that unit, with Robertson, Pacioretty, and even Domi having a great shot. I know [Domi] is a passer, but he has a really good shot.
There are some good shooters on the unit who need to shoot the puck.
It looks like there will be three players scratched every night, at least to start. Are you the type of coach who wants to mix those guys in over time?
Berube: I do. They are all important and a big part of the team. There is schedule, the play, and all of those types of things that will determine the lineup changes and what goes on.
How keen are you to get going tomorrow?
Berube: We are all excited today. There is good energy out there in practice. Guys are itching to play real hockey games.
Do you still feel the juice for an opening-night game?
Berube: Definitely. You get pumped up, for sure. I am always excited to get going every game, but I am (definitely) excited for this one.
