Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, which improved the team’s record to 22-12-2.
On the team’s performance:
I thought [Detroit] came hard. We checked well tonight. We spent a lot of time in our own end tonight, but I thought for the most part, we did a really good job protecting the slot and blocking shots with good sticks.
They came hard. We knew that. We capitalized on some of our chances.
On whether the attention to detail defensively was improved over the previous couple of losses:
Definitely. Throughout the whole game, we did a pretty good job of protecting the interior and protecting the net front. That was the difference in the game.
On Mitch Marner’s natural hat trick:
We need him to come up big and score goals, right? He does it. He had five shots on net tonight. That is the difference for me: He is shooting the puck.
He has a good shot and can score goals. He is a great playmaker, but there are times when we need him to shoot, too.
On John Tavares’ beautiful assist for Marner’s 2-0 goal:
It is a great play. It’s chemistry, you know? They’ve played together a lot this year. JT knows where people are. He has eyes on the back of his head making plays. It was a big play for us at that time.
The power play goal was a big one, too. We had a four-minute power play, and we needed one there. We got it.
On Joseph Woll’s 23-save performance:
I thought he was really good tonight. When we needed him to step up, he made a big save for us.
They only had 24 shots on net or something in that area, but he was solid, and we needed him to be really solid tonight.
Mitch Marner on Tavares’ pass: “A pretty good gift”
I wasn’t calling for it. I think he saw me before he went down to the ice. He just tried to make the play through, and I tried to stay in the same spot. It is a pretty good gift.
