Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach
Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the team’s big win over Calgary, Auston Matthews’ two-goal performance, Bobby McMann breaking a cold streak, and Brandon Carlo settling into the lineup.

Practice Lines – Mar. 18

Coming off of a really good performance, what is the key to building on that momentum?

Berube: I think you look at how you started the game, how direct we were, and how we were on our toes, winning races, recovering pucks, and tracking. We have to do the same thing again [on Wednesday].

What is the key to a better result against the Avalanche this time around?

Berube: More disciplined, for sure, and not putting them on the power play. It is a hard kill against that power play. We have to be disciplined.

Colorado is a very good team with a lot of good players. They play a fast, direct game. We have to be on our toes. We have to be checking well. We have to stay in front of them and win battles. That is going to be a big part of the game: winning battles in our own zone, getting pucks, exiting out of our zone, and playing fast.

How can Bobby McMann use his game against Calgary as a bit of a springboard after his first goal in 13 games?

Berube: Yeah, he has had some opportunities. Throughout this time, Bobby has played pretty well. The puck hasn’t gone in the net for him, but he has to keep using his speed and not change himself as a player.

I will say it again: He is a big body who is a power forward. Use your speed. Get in on the forecheck. Get to the net more. He will get more goals if he gets to the net more. He is a big body who has good hands around the net.

You are going to score goals as he did last night, but consistently, it is not going to happen all the time. It is about the little things — getting to the net more, rebound chances, and things like that. That is where he is going to get most of his goals.

What happens with a line like McMann-Domi-Robertson, where they are so good for stretches, and then it vanishes? Is it frustrating as a coach? Do they need to manage the game differently?

Berube: A number of things that happen throughout the season. You switch lines up. Things get stale. You are not liking what you see as a coach, so you switch things up.  We got Laughton in here — a new player — so we were moving things around, too.

We have always kind of gone back to that line, and they do kind of come up big for us at times when they score goals and do a good job. For me, I think Max Domi’s game has gone to another level. That is the biggest difference.

What has happened within Domi’s game that’s led to the improvement?

Berube: To me, he is way more aggressive. That’s what I see. He is being the player we want him to be where he is in players’ faces. He is disrupting things. He is using his speed. He is a playmaker who can make plays. The guy can pass the puck. For me, it is about the skating.

You mentioned Auston Matthews’ leadership after the win over Calgary. It is his first year as captain. What have you noticed about him off the ice, away from the scenes during the last stretch where the team was going through adversity? 

Berube: He grabbed ahold of the room. It is not good enough what is going on here. He went out and talked, and then he walked. That is really what it boils down to. He went out and led the way with the work and compete that was needed at the start of the game.

What can that performance do for Matthews with the two goals?

Berube: It is going to give him confidence, like any player. When you score a goal or two goals, you are going to feel good about yourself. I think it was only a matter of time before they started going in. He probably has a little more confidence today.

Listen, he is a confident guy, anyhow. He is now sitting here worrying, “Oh, I don’t have as many goals as last year.” I’ll say it again: It is about playing 200 feet, doing a good job, and being a good leader. To me, he has been doing a lot of that.

His defensive game has been good. He works every game. He competes. They don’t always go in, but he just has to stay the course.

How would you say Brandon Carlo’s game has become more comfortable, given that his first game was tough, staring down Nathan MacKinnon right from the get-go?

Berube: He is getting more comfortable with his partner, too. He is getting more comfortable as a player settling in here — not only on the ice and at the rink but outside of the rink. He is getting more comfortable with everything — the systems and how we want to play. There are systems, but there is also a philosophy of how we want to play, and I think he is getting more comfortable with that.

William Nylander has points in every single game this month and the second-most goals in the league. What stands out about his play right now?

Berube: He has a lot of talent. Willy has been working. When Willy is skating, is a tenacious player, is on pucks, and is winning battles, he is going to get his opportunities.

What Will does well: reads plays. As a player, he has a high hockey IQ in that department. He gets a lot of opportunities that way.

There are not many players in the league who possess the puck like Nylander does.

Berube: He has a high possession rate. I don’t know where he is at right now, but he was around eighth the last time I looked a while ago. He hangs onto pucks. He is strong on pucks. He cuts back. He has really good edges on his skates. He is a possession guy.

What was the first team picture like with the Leafs?

Berube: It was great. It was awesome. As I said before, it is an honour to be a part of the Leafs organization and be in the picture. It means a lot to me.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR