After Friday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the adversity the team is facing after a couple of tough losses, the power play’s early struggles, and sticking by the Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner duo after a few porous games from the top line.
Practice Lines – Oct. 25
Lines at Leafs practice:
Knies – Matthews – Marner
McMann – Domi – Nylander
Lorentz – Tavares – Robertson
Holmberg – Kampf – Reaves
Dewar, PaciorettyRielly – Ekman-Larsson
McCabe – Tanev
Benoit – Timmins
Liljegren – Myers
HakanpääStolarz
Woll @TSN_Edge— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 25, 2024
While the big test is the game on Saturday, are you happy with what you saw from your team in practice coming off of the loss to St. Louis?
Berube: Yeah, we had good energy out there. We went over stuff this morning. We are trying to fix a few issues that we have right now. I thought the practice was pretty good.
How is Marc Savard handling the early struggles of the power play? What is your message to him and to the team?
Berube: Well, to stay with it. We are all a part of the power play. We all want the power play to do well, including the players. We just have to keep banging away at it.
They are getting opportunities. It is not going in. The shooting is a little off, but we can also get pucks into the good area of the ice a little bit more and create some second and third chances.
What was it about Savard that made you want him to be a part of your group?
Berube: Well, I worked with him in St. Louis and he did a great job with our power play there. I knew him as a player, and he was a very good power play guy.
Why have you decided to stick with the same personnel on the top unit of the power play?
Berube: What I have seen in the last four games is the chances they’re creating. In saying that, you have to produce, and it has to go in. A lot of times, you just switch it up to switch it up, but I see progression in the right direction.
There has been a lack of discipline with the penalties at times. You are going into a building in Boston where the captain likes to goad the other team. How do you address it regarding the need to stay disciplined?
Berube: Well, we have to play smart and play hard between the whistles. That is first and foremost. You can’t be undisciplined in how you react to things. We have to initiate as best we can. It’s between the whistles. That is what it boils down to.
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are typically a responsible duo defensively, even if the offense isn’t there. What can they do to tighten it up moving forward?
Berube: They are just a little loose in some areas. We looked at that stuff today and talked to those guys. They’ll be better.
When you let Matthews hear it on the bench after the 3-1 St. Louis goal, is that you letting off steam, or are you hoping it is going to light a fire?
Berube: It is just accountability for everybody. That is all it is. It is nothing personal. It is just me being a coach and doing what I think is right at the time.
Is Steven Lorentz’s placement on the John Tavares line a case of a reward for hard work?
Berube: Yeah, it is just a hard-working guy for Johnny in the offensive zone. He is a very good player down low in the offensive zone and around the net. He has played pretty well. Stevie has speed and size. I thought that line was good last night for us.
What led to changing up the top two defense pairings?
Berube: That was an in-game change we made. We were just trying to match up our top-end players with puck movers a little bit more. McCabe and Tanev is a good shutdown pair, right? They are both good defensively, physical, and hard to play against.
Playing the offside as a defenseman can be tricky at times. What makes you think OEL can excel at it?
Berube: He has played the offside in the past. He’s a good puck mover. I don’t foresee it as an issue.
You have been in the Bruins’ building a few times since 2019, but when you go back there, do you pause and think about the fact that it was the pinnacle of your coaching career?
Berube: I don’t know. I don’t think about it too much, to be honest with you, but it is a great place to go and play a hockey game. It is always exciting there, and they are always good games. It will be another good one tomorrow.
How are Max Pacioretty and Fraser Minten progressing?
Berube: Pacioretty was out there today, obviously. We will see how he is after today’s practice and make a decision on it.
Minten is coming along really well. He has been on the ice a little bit. He is really progressing in the right direction.
