Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 shootout win over the Utah Hockey Club, which improved the team’s record to 39-22-3.
On an up-and-down performance:
We got off to a great start. Our first period was really good. We made a couple of mistakes in the second and ran into penalty trouble a little bit. I didn’t like the calls, to be honest with you, but it is now 5-on-3 from a pushing match in front of the net. It is what it is.
Right now, we are fighting through some adversity. The guys came through in the third period, did a good job, and ended up winning in a shootout.
On the message to the team during the timeout after the 3-2 Utah goal:
They were stretching us out a little bit, and we were getting caught. On both of those goals, we got stretched out. They were trying to get behind us, and they did a little bit. We wanted to tighten it up with better rush defense by being more aware of what they are doing. We were just trying to calm the guys down a little bit.
On the team keeping Utah at three after conceding the three-goal lead:
The third period was good. We gave up one chance in the third, not counting OT. We did what we had to do.
This has been a long stretch for us on the road. We’re 9-3-1 in this stretch, which is really good. Credit to our guys. They had to battle, and they were battling tonight.
That is a good team over there. They come at you with a lot of speed. I thought our battle level was really good tonight.
On Simon Benoit’s Superman punch to start his fight vs. Michael Kesselring:
It is something I never did. I am taking notes. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that. Maybe years ago, but we actually got a great picture of it in the room. It was pretty cool.
On the ref’s explanation after the cross-check call on Scott Laughton:
Nothing, really. To me, it is just a dive. You are already down a man. It has to be pretty blatant to get a 5-on-3.
The guys did a good job and killed it off. Wollsy made a couple of big saves there. It was a big part of the game there for us.
On Mitch Marner’s shootout winner:
He came through. It was a hell of a move he made. That is what he does: he comes through.
We call that Mitchcraft 🪄 pic.twitter.com/9yjybSbf7P
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 11, 2025
On Calle Jarnkrok scoring his first goal of the season after a long injury layoff:
He had a good game, I thought. I know he scored a goal on the power play, but overall, he did a lot of good things. He really worked and skated. He had a couple of good chances at five-on-five. That line was pretty good for me tonight.
On shifting Jarnkrok onto Tavares’ line:
There is a little bit of chemistry between him and Willy, I think. I like his defensive mindset on that line.
We switched it up; I know I had Bobby there yesterday, but I wanted to go back to it. I knew they were going to be matched up against one of their top two lines tonight, and there are talented players over there. I wanted a guy who has some really good defensive awareness. He did a good job.
On Joseph Woll’s performance in net:
Very good. He held us in there and made some big saves for us. He was really good tonight.
On the experience of his first game in Utah:
It is actually a great place to play a game. The fans are loud and into it. There is a lot of excitement and energy in the building.
