On an off-day on Wednesday, head coach Craig Berube discussed the areas for improvement ahead of Game 3, the impact of the Lorentz-Laughton-Jarnkrok line, and the possibility of lineup changes as the series shifts to Ottawa.
The players talk about making a physical investment in a playoff series. Did Anthony Stolarz’s pushback against Ridly Greig send a bit of a message about what happens when they go to the net, and will it have any impact beyond what happened in the game last night?
Berube: No, I don’t think so. He commented on it about how it’s a heat-of-the-moment type of deal. He is just protecting his crease, which I don’t have a problem with.
What is the best approach to dealing with an opponent like Greig?
Berube: He is a good player. He is a competitor. He has a lot of good hockey traits, in my opinion. You just have to keep playing and playing him hard. He is going to do what he does. You can’t retaliate.
It is important not to retaliate, but at the same time, you have to protect, too. We have to protect our goalie, be strong at our net, and not allow players to come in there and get involved with our goaltender. That is important, for sure.
At the same time, we can’t [overreact] to what he does and head to the penalty box.
You talked about wanting to see improvements with breaking the puck out in Game 2. Did you see improvement in those areas?
Berube: In the first period, it was very good. In the second period, we ended up getting pucks in our zone and didn’t advance it. We kind of just threw it out and didn’t make a play. We kind of gave it back to them. They three-quarter-iced us a little bit too much in the second period. There were plays available we could’ve made.
What is the thought process like when you are looking for areas of improvement in those areas, but you are still up 2-0 in the series?
Berube: You are always looking to improve in areas throughout the playoffs and throughout the season. We can be better here. We are up 2-0, but don’t just hang onto the lead with that kind of mentality. We have to keep attacking, making plays, and keeping the pressure on them.
Those are all things that you are going to keep trying to improve and work on. We’ll show the guys. It is just confidence, right?
What was the message to the team heading into overtime of Game 2?
Berube: Just to keep playing. I thought our third period was really good. We didn’t give up a shot until that goal. We were playing a pretty good period. Those are going to happen in games, and you have to reset. It is a quick reset for overtime.
Nothing much changes. Get back on the attack. Throw everything at the net. You never know. Different people score in overtime for that reason. You throw things at the net, and it goes off of people. You have to simplify and put pressure on.
In St. Louis, you were known for how much you valued your fourth line. You started a lot of playoff games with your fourth line, and you started Game 2 with your fourth line. How important is it in terms of depth in the playoffs?
Berube: It is highly important. You need everybody to do the job in the playoffs. In 2019, our fourth line was really effective for us, not only defensively and in terms of matchups, but they scored goals — big goals. You need that in the playoffs.
Laughton’s line has been very good for a while now. We are going to keep using them.
The blocked shots were over 30 for the Leafs and six for the Senators in Game 2. All of your top players were credited with multiple blocks. What does that say about your team’s mentality?
Berube: You have to do it. It is part of playoffs. You have to really dig in those areas and block shots when you have to. We had to (dig in) last night in a lot of areas. The guys did a great job of it.
Everybody has to do it. It’s highly important. I can look at past playoff teams’ stats, and if you look at a lot of the teams that were successful, they blocked a lot of shots. You have to block shots.
It is a good team over there. They are going to get opportunities. They have skill. That is the desperation you need in playoff hockey: get in front of shots.
Will you keep the same lineup in place for Game 3?
Berube: Yeah, probably. We’ll see. We are still thinking about things and what we can do to improve. We will see. I haven’t made up my mind on that.
What was the message to Nick Robertson after his offensive-zone penalty in Game 2?
Berube: He knows. You really have to manage your stick. His stick got a little high and caught a guy in the face. It is just discipline. You have to have control of your stick.
The refs are calling that all day. Whether your sticks are in the hands or you slash a guy, they are going to call that stuff. 100%, they are for sure calling that stuff. You have to control your stick.
What are the implications of no longer owning the last change in Game 3?
Berube: Yeah, we don’t have last line change, but he is trying to get his matchups at home, too, and is doing different things with changing on the fly. That is all part of the cat-and-mouse game.
We are just going to go play. It is business as usual. If we can’t get matchups, we have guys who are capable of doing the job.
