Ahead of Thursday’s game in Carolina, head coach Craig Berube discussed his lineup alterations up front with Max Pacioretty sitting and Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg entering the lineup, swapping his defense pairings, William Nylander’s seven-game goal-scoring drought, and the challenge against the Hurricanes.
Morning Skate Lines – Jan. 9
Leafs lines at skate
Knies – Matthews – Marner
McMann – Tavares – Nylander
Robertson – Domi – Lorentz
Dewar – Kampf – Holmberg
Reaves, PaciorettyRielly – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Myers
Benoit – Timmins
RifaiWoll
Hildeby @TSN_Edge pic.twitter.com/fqnMQBaTR8— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 9, 2025
What made you want to keep the five-forward look on the power play?
Berube: The first two power plays weren’t very good in Philly. We made a switch, and it worked out. We’ve made that switch a couple of times (this season), and it has worked out. There is no sense in changing it. We will see how it looks tonight and go from there.
Why was now the right time to unite Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev?
Berube: A lot of it is [Carolina’s] lineup. They are pretty spread out with three lines. We need some balance with our D pairs tonight going against them. They have some good skill on each line with size — Necas, Svechhnikov, Staal. They have it spread out pretty well.
What went into the decision to take out Max Pacioretty and insert Nick Robertson?
Berube: A little more speed tonight. It is going to be a fast game.
We talked about it before when guys sit out, and we want to get them back in. Holmberg has been sitting for a bit. He was sick, and he is back now. I wanted to make the switch.
How do you get William Nylander more involved offensively?
Berube: I talked to Willy today. Sometimes, skilled players and scorers lose their confidence a little bit. That is what I see right now with Willy: a little bit of a lack of confidence.
For me, it is talking to him about working his way out of the situation. You can’t just [resort] to, “Well, I need a break.” Work your way out of it. Work for your breaks.
That is the biggest thing for me: getting him back to work a little bit more, and being more tenacious on pucks and puck battles. When he was scoring a lot, his (won) puck battles were extremely high, and he was playing with more pace. He is not playing with the same pace right now.
Is Nylander responsive to those conversations?
Berube: Very responsive. We always have good conversations. It has been really good that way. I had to do a little bit of a better job with him, too.
What have you liked about how the top line has performed since Auston Matthews returned?
Berube: That line has been good all year when they are together, to be honest with you. They just have great chemistry.
To me, the biggest difference in the line is Knies and the way he is playing with his forechecking, skating, size, strength on pucks, and going to the net. It has really opened a lot of things up.
What kind of challenge are you anticipating from Carolina?
Berube: They’ve always been a tough opponent. They’ve been a really good team for a while now. They have some great players over there.
It’s the pressure they come with. They’re a hard-working team. They work as hard as any team in the league. There is just no room. They don’t give you much room.
You have to win your battles. There are a few things we have to do to try to create some space out there tonight and be patient.
Composure, patience, and discipline are going to be key in this game.
What stands out about Rod Brind’Amour and the success he has achieved in Carolina over the years?
Berube: He has done a great job here. How he played as a player is what he has brought to the team: the work ethic, they’re a great faceoff team — Roddy was a great faceoff guy — and a great penalty killer. He was a good power-play guy, too.
He was good in all facets of the game. He has brought that to his team. His teams are about pressure and work. They don’t give you any time or space.
