Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars, which improved the team’s record to 20-10-2.
On how his team found a way to win the game:
The goalie was good, for sure. We responded on goals. Our third line responded and tied it up. They had a great game, I thought.
Overall, puck play and decision-making at times weren’t great for our team, but we found a way to win. Our goalie was really good. We did what we had to do.
On the reasons for the team’s sloppiness and whether the compact schedule could play a role:
It could be a number of things.
The ice wasn’t good, and we just couldn’t make any clean plays out there. It was bouncing around. Guys were falling down. It was kind of a weird game, to be honest with you.
[The schedule] is an excuse. I am not going to go there with it. We were fine. We traveled, and we had a day before we got here. That is not what played into it, in my opinion.
On the third line’s three-goal game:
That secondary scoring is huge. They were really good tonight. They worked really hard, and their reloads were great. That is why they scored a couple of goals: by reloading hard, breaking plays up, and then attacking the other way.
On Joseph Woll stopping a point-blank chance before William Nylander tied the game 2-2:
It is a big deal.
He was our best player tonight. Really good.
On the Nylander – Matthews – Marner line:
I know they got a goal and some chances, but for me, they were off a little bit tonight, like a lot of our guys were. I didn’t think they had their best game.
We’ll see.
On Joseph Woll’s excellent performance and the confidence it gives the team:
It is really important. He was great tonight. We needed him to be really good against a really good team at home. They have a good home record and are hard to beat.
We needed him to be good, and he was. It gives our team confidence. It plays a lot into it.
On Matt Murray pitching a shutout with the Marlies tonight and if he is an option to call up for the weekend’s back-to-back:
We’ll look at things, for sure. It is encouraging and great for him and the Marlies.
He has a lot of experience, and he has won. As I said, we will look at everything and make some decisions.
