Craig Berube on keeping the Leafs’ lineup the same in the final practice ahead of Game 1: “They’ve earned that… They’ve played extremely well down the stretch”

After Saturday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed his Game 1 lineup, the status of Jake McCabe and OEL, and the importance of avoiding the penalty box against a Senators team that draws more calls than any club in the league.

Practice Lines – Apr. 19

Leafs lines at practice

Knies – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Tavares – Nylander
McMann – Holmberg – Robertson
Lorentz – Laughton – Jarnkrok
Pacioretty – Kampf – Reaves

McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Carlo
Benoit – Ekman-Larsson
Mermis – Myers

Stolarz
Woll @TSN_Sports

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 19, 2025

Entering your first playoff game as coach of the Maple Leafs, what have you learned about being the coach on and off the ice since you were hired last May?

Berube: As we talked about before, it is a great organization to work for and be involved in the hockey market. I’ve loved working with our players and the organization in general.

More than anything, it’s the noise. There is a lot of it. You have to quiet the noise.

What is the key to quieting the noise?

Berube: It is always a challenge. There is a lot of it in Toronto. Don’t turn your phone on. Don’t turn the TV on, haha.

It’s all part of it. You have to handle it. Go out and compete your ass off. Play as hard as you can, and good things happen. You can control your effort, competitiveness, and do what is best for the team. Those are controllable [aspects].

Usually, playoff experience is important, but why do you think it maybe won’t matter for a goalie like Anthony Stolarz? 

Berube: Well, he has experience in the playoffs. He didn’t start, but he has the experience of being in there and seeing it. He has been around for quite some time now. He has had a great year, like both of our goalies, and has played extremely well this year. He is ready to go.

Is keeping the lines as is a testament to how the team has played down the stretch?

Berube: For sure. They’ve earned that. They’ve played extremely well down the stretch, but we will see [the final lineup] tomorrow.

What did Nick Robertson do specifically to stay in the playoff lineup?

Berube: He scored some goals, but it is his work ethic and competitiveness that really stood out to me, and he has great speed. He is really competitive. His work ethic was really high.

Are Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson good to go? How much of a boost will it be to get both back? 

Berube: Caber is good to go. With OEL, we will see how he is tomorrow.

They have been very good defensemen for us in their roles. They’re good defenders, they PK, and they can power play. They touch all of the situations as needed. Good, experienced defensemen.

Do you imagine there will be any rust for them jumping back into action?

Berube: It is good that they practiced today. I believe it is important for them to have a full practice with us as a team. I think they’ll be fine.

Are Max Pacioretty and David Kampf available to you?

Berube: They are.

How tempted were you to insert Pacioretty into the lineup?

Berube: He is in the conversation all of the time, but I liked the way our team played down the stretch. Right now, in my head, I am thinking of keeping it the same, but I can make a change by tomorrow.

How can the team be a little more careful against a team that draws as many penalties as the Senators?

Berube: We discussed it. They lead the league in penalties. Stutzle draws a lot of them. We looked at a lot of it, and we talked about it. You have to be disciplined, but you can’t be tentative, either. We have to be physical and deal with what we have to deal with.

It is more about the stick work and getting yourself on the wrong side of people that, a lot of the time, causes you to take penalties. We have to be disciplined, smart, and hard between the whistles.

Brady Tkachuk draws a lot of them as well. What kind of challenge does he present in general?

Berube: He is good at disrupting out there. It’s a big part of his game. He has a lot of gamesmanship. You have to play him hard. We understand that, but we have to be disciplined and not react to some of his stuff. He is at the net a lot, too, and a lot of penalties are drawn there. He does a great job at the net front, so we have to make sure we are strong there. He draws a lot of penalties just being at the net all the time and putting people in tough situations.

How did Ryan Reaves respond to his stint with the Marlies?

Berube: He did a great job. He understood the situation, worked really hard, went down, and played some games. It is not easy to do for a guy like him who has been around the NHL for a long time. He is back and ready to go.

What has stood out about Auston Matthews’ leadership throughout the season, as we head into his first playoff as captain?

Berube: He leads by example. If you watch practice or games, he is leading by example all of the time. I get his goals have dropped off this year; it’s not for a lack of attempts or opportunities, but they don’t always go in. He’s played a great 200-foot game for us this year on both sides of the puck and on the PK.

He is a great teammate. Leadership-wise, he handles the situations that need to be handled on a daily basis around the team.

How well do you know Travis Green?

Berube: I know him well. Great guy. I have been around Travis and played against him. He has done a great job this year. He’s got a great team playing well.