Ahead of Monday’s game in Utah, head coach Craig Berube discussed moving Bobby McMann up to the second line, Scott Laughton’s critical review of his own debut performance, and the decision to start Joseph Woll vs. Utah Hockey Club.
In your experience, how long does it take for players acquired at the deadline to adjust and get comfortable with their new team?
Berube: I think they are comfortable with the guys already, just being around them. That doesn’t take too long. Hockey players are kind of all the same. They welcome new people in very well and do a good job.
On the ice, there is going to be some adjustment over time. I can’t give you a number on that, but it is not just going to happen overnight. It is going to take a little bit of time for a guy like Carlo to form some chemistry with his partner, get comfortable with these systems, and things like that. It is the same for Laughton.
I don’t really have a number on it.
Scott Laughton was hard on himself after the last game. Did you talk to him about it?
Berube: No, I didn’t talk to him, but he is hard on himself. He always has been. He did some really good things in the game. There are mistakes in the game from everybody. We all know that. He has to hold back a little bit with that and just play — play hard. Control what you can control — his effort, his battle, and things like that. He will get comfortable with the system and comfortable with his linemates in a short time.
Bobby McMann has moved up and down the lineup recently. Where do you stand on his game lately?
Berube: I was happier with the last game. He made a nice play on the goal. He used his speed on it, and I thought he was way more physical in the game.
Bobby has great speed and a good shot. I think he can take a little bit more of a page out of Knies’s book and get to the net more for some goals around there. He is a big body. It is hard to move him. He has good hands and good hand-eye coordination. I would like to see him getting to the net a little bit more. That is one of the conversations I had with him yesterday.
Was starting Joseph Woll an easy decision, or did you think about giving Woll a bit of a break after the last couple of starts?
Berube: He has had a little bit of a break now and some practices. We’ll go back home against Florida, and Stolarz played there. There is some thought process with that. We have been rotating for a while. I don’t really see a reason to change it right now.
Is Calle Jarnkrok just the odd-man out in the numbers game right now?
Berube: It is not that he is an odd-man out. He played a couple of games. He was out a long time with the injury. We gave him a little bit of a reset. He is going to play tonight, and Robertson will be out.
It is nothing that Robby did wrong. He has played hard and played some good hockey for us, but the coach has to make decisions. They’re hard decisions, and it’s just what I went with tonight.
How hard is Nick Robertson to slot, given that he doesn’t come across as a typical fourth-liner?
Berube: He is not, and he hasn’t played on the fourth line. I put him on there for the last game, just with Laughton coming in and how the lines were set up. But it doesn’t mean he can’t play there. He is an energy guy for me. I think Robby has been involved more physically and has been a tenacious hockey player. If he is on the fourth line, it is not an issue for me. He has the ability to put the puck in the net, too.
Has the deadline made the coach’s job that much harder with some of these decisions?
Berube: Trust me, it is always hard. Players have to be scratched, and sometimes, it is warranted. Sometimes, it is not. It is about the lineup and what we think is going to give us the best chance to win. It is difficult. It is always difficult.
Do you have a sense of when Chris Tanev might be available?
Berube: He is not ready tonight for sure. He is skating again. We will just keep working with him. When he feels like he is good to go, he is good to go. I can’t give you a timeline on it right now.
Is there any sense of where Max Paxioretty stands?
Berube: He has an injury, so he is out.
Scott Laughton: “I’ve got better… I can’t wait to show it”
You were a little hard on yourself after the last game, given the circumstances. Why was that?
Laughton: I self-evaluate the game, and I don’t think I was good enough. I’ve got better. I can’t wait to show it.
It is going to take some time getting used to everything — your linemates, and so on — but I think we are going in a good direction right now. We continue to work at it and continue to talk.
I have known Max for a long time now. It is nice to be able to talk on the bench and be comfortable together… I love the way he sees the ice. He is always looking. He is a really smart player, and he has some bite to him. It is fun to play with. We’ll keep building our game together, and hopefully, we stay together and have some success.
How far do you and Max Domi go back?
Laughton: We learned to skate together. He was three, and I was four. We were doing C-cuts and edges. We have known each other for quite some time. He would get called up to our Marlies team when I played there. It is nice to have that comfortability with someone.
