Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks, which dropped the team’s record to 38-20-3.
On where the game got away from the team:
We turned the puck over a little bit in the third period. One ended up in the back of our net. We needed to do a better job of checking in the third period, I guess, and not turn the puck over as much as we did.
On kissing away a point despite a 2-0 lead against a struggling team:
It is disappointing. Any loss is disappointing. It is a 2-0 lead, so we are in a good spot to close it out, and we did not do the job. We had a chance in OT with the power play, and we couldn’t get one.
On the team’s energy level in the back-to-back situation:
It was fine. I actually liked a lot of our game. The second period was good. We took the game over. The power play was good and scored us a couple of goals.
Nitpicking anything… Well, it is not nitpicking. We missed the net too much tonight. We had a lot of opportunities, and we missed the net.
On Calle Jarnkrok’s first game back:
That line started tonight against the Goodrow line. I thought Jarny had a good game. Late in the game, I put him and Kampf out there with Willy. They had a couple of good shifts.
He is always in the right position. He has a great hockey IQ. He skated well tonight, I thought. He was on pucks. He was tenacious. He made some good plays.
He skated really well tonight for me.
On Matthew Knies banging in a goal at the net-front on the power play:
He has done a great job all year. He is really good at it. He is good at screening the goalie, tipping pucks, finding rebounds, and things of that nature. He has been really good there for us.
On how he decided on his shootout takers:
We have our guys. There is film, too, that they look at on goalies and where they can maybe beat them.
It is unfortunate that Mitch broke his stick in the shootout, but shootouts are 50/50.
On Philippe Myers’ hit and fight in the first period:
Well, he is physical. He obviously took the body, and they didn’t like it. I thought he did a good job and handled himself.
MYERS FIGTHS FERRARO courtesy of @Bonsie1951 and @Jim_Ralph pic.twitter.com/KFf4tjxpOn
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) March 4, 2025
John Tavares: “We have to check better than we did in the third… It is what it comes down to”
Tavares: We just didn’t check well enough in the third. We still had the puck quite a bit up until they tied the game, and then it was pretty even from there. There were opportunities to extend our lead throughout the night, but we have to check better than we did in the third. It is what it comes down to.
We had an opportunity on the power play in overtime, and we have to find a way to come through. In the shootout, we had our chances and just didn’t get it done.
