After Monday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the mixed reaction among the players to the loss to the Canucks, moving Steven Lorentz up onto the top line, returning to five forwards on the power play, Ryan Reaves’ season, Max Domi’s offensive production, and the status of Jake McCabe and Jani Hakanpaa.
Practice Lines – Jan. 13
Leafs practice lines
Lorentz – Matthews – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Nylander
McMann – Domi – Robertson
Dewar – Kampf – Reaves
Pacioretty, HolmbergEkman-Larsson – Tanev
Rielly – Myers
Benoit – Timmins
Rifai – HakanpääWoll
Hildeby @TSN_Edge— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 13, 2025
After the game on Saturday, there was kind of a difference in opinion among the players.
Berube: What did you guys think?
Not the best.
Berube: What weren’t we good at?
Offense.
Berube: Yeah, we didn’t score. It’s hard to win, eh? Do you like 0-0 ties?
Overall, as I said the other night, defensively, we were fine. We didn’t give up much in the game.
Offensively, there was more we could’ve done. Now, with the chances we had, there were some good ones. If they go in, it is a different story.
I want more pace. We could’ve been a bit hungrier in that department — more of an attack with more pucks to the net.
We did a lot of good things in the game, too. We have to put them all together.
What has stood out to you about Steven Lorentz’s game that made you shift him up next to Auston Matthews?
Berube: I am just throwing the lines around a little bit.
I like his size, the way he plays the game and his pace when getting on pucks in the offensive zone, forechecking, and getting to the net.
He is a simple player. I am looking for someone to get in there with Matthews and Marner who can create some loose puck battles and make sure he is at the net all the time. They can do their thing.
When you mention “hunger,” does sitting first place halfway through the season make the team not as hungry anymore?
Berube: At this time of year, it is a tough stretch for everybody. It has always been that way. We just have to dig in a little bit more.
We have to be a little more hungry to score goals and get to the net more. We have puck possession in the offensive zone, and the puck possession was pretty good in the game (vs. Vancouver), but it was a little too much on the outside for me, and there were not enough attempts at the net with people at the net.
How difficult is it when your practice time is limited during busy stretches of the schedule?
Berube: It is hard. I think it is really important to practice. I really do. Morning skates aren’t practice. You do kind of go through a couple of drills at times, but I liked the pace out here today. The energy was good. It was good to get out there again. We have to keep trying to find more time to practice.
On the note about extra practice time, how do you feel the extra work on the power play might help break the dam?
Berube: The power play has been 23% over the last 10 games, which is pretty good. Could it be better? Yeah.
For me, sometimes, it is the time of the game when you get a power play, and you just kill your momentum of it. That is what stands out. We have to be better at that where we generate momentum off of the power play.
It doesn’t always go in the net, but we have to generate momentum. You do that by executing, attacking, and shooting pucks.
Is there sometimes too much respect for one another’s talent on the power play in terms of the overpassing?
Berube: There is a lot of talent out there, and it can make it tricky sometimes.
“Why didn’t he pass it to me, or why did he shoot it?” You can’t have that in your head. When you have an opportunity to deliver it to the net, you have to deliver it to the net. That’s how they go in.
With Knies in front of the net, he does a great job of being there all of the time. He is very good at it. Our flankers and our top guy’s job is to get pucks to the net.
Is Knies’ net-front presence the reason you are returning to the five forwards on the top unit of the power play?
Berube: A little bit of both. Five forwards have given us success this year. We all know that.
I could talk about the other way stuff, but I think Mitch is very reliable back there as a defenseman. It is the other guys who have to help out more on these plays. When he is under pressure, or they are going the other way, we need to have guys coming back hard.
They move the puck around well as five forwards. It’s looked really good when we’ve done it.
How would you assess Ryan Reaves’ season? Are you surprised that he doesn’t have a fight yet?
Berube: Am I surprised? Not really. There are not many fights anywhere, right? This guy has been a heavyweight in this league for quite some time. There are not a lot of takers.
I think he has played good hockey for us. He is what he is, right? He doesn’t try to complicate it. He is physical. He has been a physical player every game for us.
I love his energy, and I love him in the locker room.
How do you get more out of Max Domi offensively?
Berube: Shoot the puck more. It is something I have stressed with Max. I think he overpasses at times.
He is a passer, and we all know that. I like his playmaking ability. But there are times when he forces it a little bit too much at times when he doesn’t need to. He can shoot the puck.
Were you guys watching practice today? He roofed one on the PP today. That is the type of shot he has. He has a really good shot.
Be more direct, get on the inside a little bit more, and don’t be on the outside always waiting for a pass. He can get to the net more, and he can get some goals around the net. It is just a mindset that he needs to attack the net more with his shot and get to the net more. He will score more if he does that.
There are three good defensive teams coming up on the schedule.
Berube: Yeah, very good. They don’t give up much. We have to work for our offense, play the right way, and at the same time, make sure we are defending well. Take what they give you.
It is going to be a tough game against Dallas. They’re a very good opponent. We played them earlier on, and it was a tough game in Dallas. I expect the same tomorrow.
How is Jake McCabe progressing?
Berube: It was great he was out there. He skated out there before, but he did some drills with us. He is doing really well. There are no setbacks with him. It is good to see.
Jani Hakanpaa took part in practice for the first time in a while. How close is he to being an option?
Berube: I don’t know how close he is, to be honest with you. Having him out there in practice was a good step in the right direction. He is going to need more practice time, for sure.
It is a tough timeline for me to give you on that one.
