Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, which improved the team’s record to 12-6-2.
On the team’s performance:
We played hard more than anything. We were resilient. We battled. We competed. It was a heavy game, as we thought it would be. I thought our guys did a really good job with the physicality part, grinding, being patient, and not forcing things.
Vegas is a very good team. They don’t give you a lot, and you have to play smart. I thought our guys played smart.
It was a battle, though. We battled hard — really hard.
On Matthew Knies’ injury and his view of the hit that caused it:
It is upper-body right now. We will see tomorrow.
My view of the hit: It is a tough call. I am not going to sit here and comment on the league. They thought it was a clean hit, so it is a clean hit. I mean, there is nothing we can comment on. Really, there is nothing to say.
On the team’s 6-1-0 record without Matthews:
As I said, our captain went out, and I thought that guys, to a man, stepped up. The guys played some real good hockey throughout this time, and tonight again. There are different guys in different roles, but they all stepped up. They are all doing what they need to do to be successful out there.
On the season and NHL debuts, respectively, of Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin:
They were good. Minten scored — I get that — but I thought both players were pretty solid out there.
Minten is a very smart player. He is a real good two-way guy. Very reliable defensively, and in the right spots.
Grebenkin battled hard. He was physical. He did what he had to do — strong on pucks down low, finishing checks, all of the things I thought he was going to do.
On Joseph Woll’s 16-save second period:
He was excellent. In the second period, they made a pretty good push and had control of the puck quite a bit in our zone. We were a little pushed back at that time, but he came up big for us. That is big. It keeps you in the game, and then our third period was excellent.
On Simon Benoit’s return to the lineup:
I thought he was excellent tonight — more aggressive than he has been; not only without the puck being physical and closing out plays, but he also skated well with the puck tonight and moved in the offensive zone and out of the defensive zone. He moved his feet, made plays, and advanced the puck up the ice.
On the team’s engagement physically in the game without Ryan Reaves:
Reavo is not in, and Max isn’t in, but guys didn’t shy away from it. We initiated early with the physicality. They are a physical team, too, and a big team, but we didn’t shy away from it.
On the team maintaining its composure in the third period of close games:
Very happy. There are games where we have the lead in the third, and we’ve kind of sat back a little bit, but tonight, I thought it was our best third with the lead. We didn’t sit back. That is what we want to keep pushing and keep doing.
We don’t want to just get pucks out and get a change. We want to advance it, play the game, and keep being aggressive. We did that. We drew a penalty. The power play did a great job of scoring a huge goal there.
Tonight was maybe our best third period with the lead.
On the 25 blocked shots:
It is a big part of the game. You have to block shots. When you are blocking shots, you are battling, competing, and doing the right things. Teams are going to get looks. If you get in the way and block shots, your goalie doesn’t have to make saves.
