After Monday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Jake McCabe and David Kampf’s status for the Florida road trip, Jani Hakanpaa’s progress toward a return, the division race, and Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Practice Lines – Apr. 7
After taking Sunday off, Leafs held only optional practice today
Rare for no full skate after day off
Craig Berube: "Back-to-back games coming up twice in five days or whatever it is. That’s part of the reasoning"
Tues – at FLA
Wed – at TBL
Sat v MTL
Sun – at CAR@TSN_Sports— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 7, 2025
David Kampf and Jake McCabe were on the ice. How would you describe their status for this week?
Berube: They won’t play in either game in the next two.
It looks like [they’re progressing]. They’ll stay home. They were skating today, which is good, but they will be out for the next two games.
Is Jani Hakanpaa a possible option for the playoffs?
Berube: Well, that is still the question, right? He is still working at it. We will see where he gets to. He could be an option, for sure.
He has played a lot of playoff games and has been around. He does a good job at what he does. Hopefully, he can get to where he’s capable of coming in and helping us if we need him.
Were there more skaters on the ice than you expected for an optional practice?
Berube: I thought there would be quite a few guys who would go out. We were off yesterday, and we gave them an option to stay off if they wanted to again, do something in the gym, or get some skill work and some touches.
What was the thought process of the optional coming off of a day off?
Berube: We have back-to-back games coming up twice in five days or whatever it is. That is part of the reasoning.
You’ve talked about controlling your own destiny in the division. How important are these two games in Florida in that regard?
Berube: They are right there with us, right? That is who we are fighting with in your division or two of the teams. As I’ve mentioned, we just want to keep playing good, consistent hockey.
Outcomes are outcomes. You have to focus on the process. That is what we want to do: focus on tomorrow, focus on our process of what we are doing lately and how we are building our game, and keep building it.
Do you have any preference as to who you play in the first round?
Berube: I don’t look at it that way at all. I am focused on how we are playing hockey, our game, the process of our game, and continuing to build that.
What are the parts of the team’s process where you want to see improvement?
Berube: There are not certain parts that we are looking at and saying, “We have to get to this level or that level.” It is about making sure we are consistent in our game in all parts of our game and are doing things right on a consistent basis.
There are always mistakes in a game, but I like how we are progressing where we go out into these games, they’re pretty tight for the first couple of periods, and we are not trying to open it up or anything. We are just staying with our game, and then in the third period, we have been very good.
That is very important for our hockey team, in my opinion. We have to keep pushing, playing smart, checking, not opening the game up, not forcing pucks, and making good puck decisions. On the checking side of things, we are going to keep hammering away at that.
It is all part of the game, but I like our process. These games are tight in the first two periods, and then we have been able to capitalize on our chances in the third period and win hockey games.
There are some high-end, elite players in your lineup. How hard has it been for them to learn to stay in the north-south and when to go east-west with their talent?
Berube: I think they bought into it pretty well, even from the beginning of the year, but habits do creep back. Old habits always creep back in, and it takes a long time to break habits, but I think they have been doing a really good job of it.
It is like anybody else. We have to keep hammering away at it. There are always going to be times when we have to reel them back in and get them on the right side of things.
With 12 different Leafs players dropping the gloves so far this season, is it sending a message that the team is physically difficult to play against?
Berube: That was part of our process throughout the season. We want to be a difficult team to play against, like any other team.
The fighting majors are the fighting majors. Guys really do get in there and stand up for each other, and that is important because you need pushback. It is great to see that guys get in there and stick up for each other. It is not just one guy or a certain guy doing it. It is anybody out there with the opportunity.
What was it like watching Alex Ovechkin set the record?
Berube: It’s great. I’ve always loved Ovi. He is a fantastic player.
I think Gretzky said it best. When you look at Gordie Howe and Mark Messier, Ovi fits in the category, in my opinion: a big, physical player who can forecheck, hit, and score goals. You don’t see a lot of those guys throughout your career, and he is definitely one of them, if not the best.
It was exciting to watch. I am very happy for him. Congrats to Ovi.
Could you imagine Ovechkin’s new record being caught? Matthew Knies was saying maybe Auston Matthews could do it if he keeps going.
Berube: They are meant to be broken. I don’t say there is someone better coming, but there are people capable of doing it and breaking that record.
Auston Matthews on whether he could be the one to break Ovechkin’s new record: “I don’t think I should even be in that conversation… I am so far away from that”
Records are meant to be broken. No one thought Gretzky’s would be. While it is hard to picture someone passing Ovi, Matthew Knies said that he wouldn’t put it past you.
Matthews: That is such a long way away. I don’t think I should even be in that conversation. This guy just broke the record. I am so far away from that. I don’t think it should be a focus on myself. Rightfully so, it should be on Ovi and what he has been able to accomplish in his career, with this record being one of them.
