After Wednesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the challenge against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, Chris Tanev’s status, and Mitch Marner’s play this season amid all the noise surrounding his contractual situation.
Practice Lines – Mar. 12
Lines at Leafs/St. Pat’s practice
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Jarnkrok – Tavares – Nylander
McMann – Laughton – Domi
Lorentz – Kampf – Holmberg
RobertsonMcCabe – Ekman-Larsson
Rielly – Carlo
Benoit – Myers
TanevStolarz & Woll
Host Panthers tomorrow@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 12, 2025
The first game back from a long trip can be tricky. How would you describe the challenge, especially with the calibre of opponent coming into town?
Berube: It is a challenge, for sure, and the opponent is a challenge, as we know. They are a very good team and the Stanley Cup champs. It is a mental grind. You have to get your head wrapped around it today. It is always a bit of a challenge after a long road trip, which we have been on for quite some time, but it is part of the game and the schedule. We have to [show] mental toughness tomorrow.
A lot of the players have remarked that tomorrow’s game is going to feel like a playoff-style matchup. What are you expecting?
Berube: If you look at the standings and where we are at and where they are at, it is a big game. First place is right there. When you play Florida, it is always going to be a hard game. It is just the style they play. They are in your face, they don’t give you much room out there, and it will feel like a playoff game.
Do you prepare your team any differently knowing the meaning of tomorrow’s game?
Berube: You prepare your team based on what you are expecting from the other team and what kind of game it is going to be. That is the most important thing.
We still want to play our game, initiate as much as possible, and go after these guys. At the same time, every team you play brings a style of play, and we have to try to take advantage of it. We have to understand what we are facing.
How close is Chris Tanev to a return?
Berube: I don’t know. It’s the same as yesterday. He is close, I would say. He is getting better. He is improving every day. We’ll just have to see. I don’t really have a timeline yet.
How tough has it been to fill Tanev’s role, given how unique of a player he is?
Berube: Yeah, he is. I always use the analogy of when I used Chris Pronger and how much he could control a game. He controlled it in a different way than Tanev, but Tanev controls a lot of the game for us with his situational play.
Is it safe to say Tanev is out for tomorrow?
Berube: I don’t know. It is day-to-day here. We’ll make a decision when he comes in tomorrow and we see how he feels.
You were traded at the deadline as a player. We always hear how difficult it is. For guys coming in mid-season, how difficult is the challenge to get yourself situated with the team, figure out where you live, or even figure out where you get your coffee?
Berube: It is all a part of it. It is always a challenge that way. Getting those guys on the road right away, playing some games with us, and being around the guys is helpful, for sure.
Now we are home here, so they will get settled into where they are living at home and what is going on with their families. That is the hardest part for them: the family stuff, the kids, the wife, and all of that. It is stressful for everybody.
They fit in with the guys. Hockey players really welcome new players. They are excited about having them. That part of it is positive. They are still learning the systems a little bit and the chemistry with players.
What have you learned about Mitch Marner’s mental toughness and ability to withstand whatever noise surrounds him in this market?
Berube: In his situation, he has been great. He is just focused on hockey. He has been focused on it all year, and he has played extremely well. He has been a real good teammate and leader for the team. He has produced.
The situation is what it is. I am glad he is here playing for us. That’s really all I have to say about it.
As a coach, how do you make sure it doesn’t become more than it should be? How much do you pay attention to it?
Berube: I pay attention to the player, where he is at, and what he is looking like to me — his body language and so on. Mitch has had good energy. He has a lot of energy in every game and every practice. He seems happy. Those are the things I focus on as a coach.
Where are the energy levels for Marner and Auston Matthews? They have been on the road more than anyone. Have you noticed anything?
Berube: In the last two games, I would say I could see our energy levels drop after the first period. Our first periods in both rinks were pretty good, and then they dropped off in the second. We sort of got it back in the third a little bit. It is a little up and down, for sure.
Simon Benoit’s Superman punch in Utah got a lot of attention. What do you make of Benoit fighting in that situation? It seemed to energize the building. Do you prefer your players to avoid that situation with the lead on the road?
Berube: You always have to pick your spots a little bit in terms of when you want to do it. I don’t know how that fight got going — who wanted who, or whatever — but it is part of the game. At the same time, you can always feel when your team maybe needs some energy or life, or when you don’t want to give the other team energy or life.
I made a living out of that. He is different.
