After Monday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Auston Matthews’ participation in practice, OEL’s status for Tuesday’s game, the areas for improvement defensively, and moving David Kampf into the 2C spot.
Practice Lines – Dec. 30
#Leafs lines practice Dec. 30/24
Pacioretty-Tavares-Marner (Matthews rotating in and out but not on the first rush)
Knies-Kampf-Nylander
McMann-Domi-Robertson
Lorentz-Holmberg-Dewar
Extra: ReavesMcCabe-Tanev
Rielly-Myers
Benoit-Timmins
Absent: OEL (illness)Woll
Hildeby…— David Alter (@dalter) December 30, 2024
Given the recent schedule, how did it feel to finally get everyone out for a full practice?
Berube: It was great. It seems like it has been a while since we got a full practice. It was good, and it was good to see Auston out there skating with us. That is a good sign. Everyone is excited about him being out there, too.
What does the prognosis look like for Matthews, and what are the chances of him playing tomorrow?
Berube: He will not play tomorrow, but he did a good job in practice today, I thought. I think he feels pretty good. We’ll just go from there. That’s all I really have for you on that.
Could Oliver Ekman-Larsson be available for you tomorrow?
Berube: We will have to see how he is feeling. We are playing that one by ear right now.
What did you want to accomplish with the full practice today?
Berube: Just reps and getting through things — our rush defense, our d-zone coverage, and some power play. We have to be more consistent in our defensive game. It is not like it is terrible, but there are breakdowns, and we have to be better. We have to find a way to keep more pucks out of our net.
What do you think has led to the increase in rush chances recently?
Berube: To me, there are a couple of areas: puck management is one, and quicker reloads by our forwards. It is not so much just our F3; it is our F1 and F2 getting beat up the ice by their D, and now there are gaps, and now teams are coming in, delaying, and making plays off the rush. We have to have numbers back quicker than we are right now.
It is more urgency and puck play — not turning pucks over in high ice, because that makes it difficult, right? If you turn a puck over in the high ice in the offensive zone, teams are coming. We have to be better at that.
How do you help Matthew Knies work his way back to his form from before his injury?
Berube: We showed him a lot of video today. We went over it with him. It’s just about getting involved more.
To me, it needs to be a little bit more reckless. That is the way he played before. He is a big-bodied guy who can skate extremely well and is heavy. He just has to get reckless a little bit in his game and just get more involved. That is really what it boils down to with him.
Skating and getting in on the forecheck, moving all the time, getting to the net, winning the battles — he was so good at that before he got the injury, and he just hasn’t gotten to that level again.
What did you like about inserting David Kampf on William Nylander’s line?
Berube: I’ve had Kampf up there before, and I moved [Holmberg] up there. I am just trying to find a little more balance with that line.
I like Domi’s line right now. They are producing for us. I didn’t want to break them up. That is all. I am just trying to find something by moving him up into that hole.
As you look ahead to January with just the one back-to-back situation, do you lean on Joseph Woll more?
Berube: For sure, but it is about results, too, and how they play. We are going to look at all of that, but yes, our schedule is easier to get one guy running here a little bit.
I am just focusing on tomorrow’s game. I am not going beyond that. I will worry about that game only, and then I’ll worry about the next one.
What are the advantages of playing the Islanders so recently as you pre-scout it?
Berube: Well, we know what they are. They have been a certain way for quite some time as a team with their identity and how they play. They are a patient team. They don’t give you a ton. You have to earn your chances.
It is important for us not to get impatient. We have to stay with it. It could be a really tight game, so we just have to stay with it. At times, going through the past [matchups] — I wasn’t here, but I looked into it a little bit — it was just about getting impatient at times.
It’s committing to staying patient and taking what they give you. That is it. We have to do a good job of it.
The last time we played them here, we just opened it up too much. They capitalized on the chances. More than anything, it’s the biggest key tomorrow.
