Craig Berube on Nick Robertson joining William Nylander’s line: “If he gets to a good area on the ice, [Nylander] can find him… He has to put a couple in and get some confidence”

After Friday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the status of his many injured forwards, the team persevering despite so many injuries, Nick Robertson’s opportunity on William Nylander’s line, and much more.

Practice Lines – Nov. 22

Leafs lines at practice

McMann – Tavares – Marner
Robertson – Holmberg – Nylander
Lorentz – Minten – Grebenkin
Steeves – Dewar – Reaves

McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Hakanpää
Benoit – Timmins
Myers

Stolarz
Woll @TSN_Edge

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 22, 2024

Is there an update on Matthew Knies for us?

Berube: Yeah, it’s the same. He is improving, which is good news. That is about it.

Is Sunday’s game on the table for Knies?

Berube: No, he will be out Sunday.

If he keeps progressing in the right direction, he is a possibility down the road soon.

Is Oliver Ekman-Larsson hopeful for Sunday?

Berube: Yeah. He just has an illness.

How is Max Domi doing?

Berube: Same. Again, I am not going to rule out Sunday for him. We have to see. That is the best I can give you on him right now.

The David Kampf injury snuck up on us. Did something happen in his last game, or was it an ongoing issue?

Berube: It was lingering a bit, but he played through it, as other guys have played through things. Max and Auston have played through things. But it gets to a point where you have to take time and heal.

Have you experienced seven players out at the forward position before? What is the key to surviving it?

Berube: I have. I have been around situations where we have lost [many] players. Guys are getting opportunities, and they are excited because they’re up from the minors, or there are better opportunities and bigger roles for guys on your team high up the lineup. They have elevated their game, for sure.

We are sticking with our structure. That is the key. It is going to be important on Sunday.

The team is more than keeping its head above water through 20 games. What has allowed the team to adjust to your style and still win hockey games? 

Berube: Right from camp, the guys have bought into the system. I think we are doing a good job with the checking side of things without the puck, our defense, and the penalty kill. The goaltending has been strong. We are manufacturing goals — enough to win hockey games. The power play is starting to click and help us out, which is important.

We just have to stick with it. I understand there are injuries and everything, but everyone goes through it throughout the year. You have to find ways to win games, and we are doing that.

What does it say about your system that as players keep going down, you keep winning?

Berube: Well, it’s structure more than anything. You have to play with the structure, and we are doing that — and doing a good job of it. There are always improvements to work on in practice and in the video, but the structure of the game and how we’ve played the game has been pretty good.

It allows us to stay games and not open them up — just stay tight and stay patient. We did a great job of it the other night. We stayed with our game in the third period, and we ended up getting opportunities because the other team is pressing. It was a real good sign, and a really good job by our guys.

In what ways have you seen John Tavares elevate in Auston Matthews’ absence?

Berube: He has played good hockey even before Auston went out. I know he was sick for a bit, and it kind of pushed him back a little bit, but since he is feeling good again, he has been great.

He is so good in tight and positionally, and he is so strong on his stick winning one-on-one battles. His work ethic is outstanding. He is just going to be solid all of the time because of his work ethic. With his experience as a player, on both sides of the puck, he has done a good job for us.

If Nick Robertson receives a look up the lineup in Knies’ absence, what are you looking for from him?

Berube: He got some looks in the last game. He just has to keep working. He is working hard, and he is skating and using his speed. He got a chance to play with Willy on Sunday. If he gets to a good area on the ice, there is a guy who can find him. He has to put a couple in and get some confidence.

Fraser Minten was moved up onto the top power-play unit in Knies’ absence. What did you like about that look?

Berube: I like his puck skills around the net and his size around the net. Again, he has a real good hockey IQ. That was just a decision I made.

Can you get more out of your practices when there are more of them between games, like this week?

Berube: You work on different things that you haven’t touched. We touched a number of different areas from the offensive side of things that we haven’t touched a lot on this year in practice. It has been more on the other side of things.

Today, we got to work more on the offensive side of things. Tomorrow, we will get back to the normal stuff.