After Wednesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the positive news about Chris Tanev’s injury, how the team will fill Tanev’s short-term absence, Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson’s recent offensive production, and his decision to flip Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies against Boston.

Practice Lines – Feb. 26

Do you have an update on Chris Tanev? 

Berube: Day-to-day. That’s good news. We are happy with that.

In the short term, who are you hoping will step up, and who do you think has more to give?

Berube: OEL, McCabe, and [Rielly] have played really well lately. Mo and OEL were great last night. They are going to have to step up, but all of the D are going to have to step up and do the job. Someone is going to have to come in and play for Tanev, and we are going to need good minutes out of them and penalty killing out of them. They all have to dig in and step up.

How big of a hole is it on the PK?

Berube: It is a hole, no doubt. He is a great penalty killer and always has been. He blocks a ton of shots. That is a skill: blocking shots. It really is. There is a willingness that has to be involved in blocking a shot, but it is a skill, too. He has really got that down.

Is it like Philippe Myers who will step in?

Berube: Yeah, if Tanev can’t go, Myers will go in.

How about William Nylander’s situation?

Berube: It’s more of a maintenance day today. I know he didn’t finish the game, but I don’t see anything out of that. He was getting off (the ice) today anyway.

Do you know what happened to Nylander?

Berube: Late in the third period, there was contact somewhere. I don’t really know exactly. I didn’t talk to him on the bench about it. At the time, we just said in OT that he wasn’t going to go.

How close is Max Pacioretty to a return?

Berube: It is positive that he is out here today. It wasn’t a taxing practice or anything, but he seemed to get through it okay. He looked fine. He is probably available on Friday, too.

Pontus Holmberg has started to score. What have you liked most about his game of late?

Berube: His strength, for me, is his strength on the puck. He is strong with pucks and hangs onto them. He gets in on the forecheck, wins those battles, and gets the puck (back). He has done that all year. He just hasn’t produced the goals. His being around the net more and scoring some goals around the net is a big key for him.

When I talk to him about playing with [Nylander and Tavares], it’s about getting in there, hanging onto pucks, getting it to these guys, and getting to the net. They are going to get it to the net eventually. That has to be his focus.

He has good details in his game, too, defensively… He is very coachable. A great kid; he’s a quiet kid, but he just wants to keep improving and getting better. He has a lot of upside, in my opinion.

Nick Robertson mentioned that the coaches asked him to be more physical. When did those conversations start with him? How did you see him make some strides in that area?

Berube: We had a conversation about this a while back, and I thought his game got better when he is more involved and is a tenacious player. I call it tenacious; he doesn’t need to be running around and trying to hit everything in sight, but it is contact on pucks. Get in there with your speed and create contact. Get those loose puck battles. He is doing that.

He is around the net now, too. Everyone wants to shoot it in the net, but just being around the net, you score a lot of goals. It is a habit more than anything.

Robby has great abilities. He has great speed. He has a real good shot. It is just about getting on the inside more than anything. He has done that lately, and he is getting rewarded for it.

Is there an opportunity for Robertson to bump his ice time higher down the stretch?

Berube: Yes, there is a possibility. If he just keeps doing what he is doing, he is going to get more ice time.

Is flipping Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies, as you did in Boston, something you might consider moving forward?

Berube: We’ll see. I didn’t see enough going on from an offensive standpoint with Matthews and Marner at that time more than anything. I thought Domi and Robertson were going really well. I just made that switch. It worked out last night, but we will see how it goes.

Is Bobby McMann uniquely useful in that if you put him on any line, he will play the same game?

Berube: I don’t think his game changes. He is a quiet kid, too. He just plays. Bobby has great speed and a good shot, and he uses it well. He’s a big and strong guy. When he’s more physical and gets to the net more, he is going to score more goals. He’s not going to just rely on his shot.

A lot of these guys can shoot the puck in the net when they get opportunities, but you have to get to the net and score some greasy goals. With his size and strength around the net — and he has done a good job there on the power play of being around the net — at five-on-five, he can get in there and be a power forward. Get to the net.

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