After Monday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Auston Matthews taking a rest day, Artem Zub’s hit on John Tavares that landed Tavares in concussion protocol in Game 4 OT, overcoming suspect officiating, and the keys to closing out the series in Game 5.
Practice Lines – Apr. 28
Lines at Leafs practice
Knies – Kampf* – Marner
Holmberg – Tavares – Nylander
Lorentz – Laughton – Jarnkrok
McMann – Domi – Pacioretty
RobertsonMcCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Carlo
Ekman-Larsson – Benoit
Mermis – Myers
HakanpaaStolarz
*Rest day for Matthews @TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 28, 2025
How did you decide to give Auston Matthews a day off?
Berube: I looked at the minutes, and he played a lot of minutes in the last game. It is just a conversation; I have conversations with the guys about it, and if they feel like they need a little more rest, I think it is a good thing.
John Tavares was in the concussion protocol on Saturday night. What do you make of that program? Obviously, he was okay.
Berube: That’s important, the program part of it. You have to make sure the guys are okay. It is in all sports, right? It is important to do that. There is nothing we can do about it.
Even in overtime in the playoffs?
Berube: It is tough, I agree, but those are the rules. We have to make sure the player is okay. That is their job, and that is just the way it is.
What did you think of the hit by Artem Zub?
Berube: I don’t like the hit. The puck is nowhere near him. It looked like a headshot to me.
alright, standard set pic.twitter.com/xRKrSqtnHA
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 27, 2025
What did you like about how Tavares played in the game prior to leaving?
Berube: He was really good, obviously. Just look at the effort, the puck battles, and the things that he does. He has done a lot of really good things all year long and in the playoffs. He’s been very good.
What has to be done differently than in Game 4 to close out this series?
Berube: I don’t think a whole lot. It is there. We have to keep doing a lot of the same things that we are doing, and we make adjustments game-to-game. I think we can try to generate more, for sure, but at the same time, I think we are doing a lot of good things. A bounce here or there, and it is a different game.
That is the way it goes. We have to match the desperation level here. It is going to be a hard game. They’re a good team; I’ve said it all along that it is a good hockey team over there, so we will be ready to go.
With how much you have been harping on discipline, what did you think of the penalty Max Domi took before the Senators’ first goal?
Berube: It is not a good penalty. We know that. Emotions get involved in the game, and you have to control your emotions.
Brandon Carlo gave a lot of compliments to Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner’s defensive games. What stands out about their defensive commitment in the series?
Berube: I think they have done it all year long. Right from the get-go, they are out there against top lines most nights throughout the season. Checking is a big part of their game. It has to continue to be that way.
They read plays well. They have good sticks. They are smart players. They penalty kill. They have done a lot of good things for us, and it is not all on the scoresheet. It is the whole game.
A lot was made of the Senators’ lack of playoff experience entering the series. Do you see signs that they are growing in stature in this regard as the series progresses?
Berube: Coming in, right from Game 1, they played well. They are a good team. They played well most of the year and did a great job of fighting into the playoffs. They’ve been a good team. They have had these young guys together for a while now. They have become a really good team.
Did the way the Oilers-Kings’ Game 4 end make you look back and go, “Damn, we left a four-minute power play on the table there on Saturday?”
Berube: Yeah, for sure. We had a couple of opportunities on that power play where we could’ve ended it. Matthews hit the post, and there were a couple of other good looks. That is the difference in the game, probably, the four-minute power play in overtime.
We’ve moved on from it. We have to focus on tomorrow. We can’t look in the past. It’s over with now.
What have you made of Max Pacioretty’s game since he entered the lineup?
Berube: I thought he was really good in the first game. He provided a lot of energy and physicality. In the second game, he was fine. The energy level wasn’t as good, which is expected.
You’ve talked to your team about not lingering on bad calls or missed calls. Your team lost a playoff game on a hand pass before — not to bring it up again. Have you always been that way, or when you started coaching, was it something you had to learn?
Berube: I probably wasn’t that way when I played. You can’t change what referees call or miss. That is all part of the game. You have to move on from it and focus on the next shift. That’s really important.
Mistakes happen. Mistakes happen with players, coaches, and referees. There is nothing you can do about it, but you move on from it and learn from it. We can’t focus on a missed call or bad call. We have to focus on what we need to do.
There have been a lot of overtime games in the playoffs so far. Do you coach differently when the stakes reach that level?
Berube: Not necessarily. You come in after the third period, and there are things you could do better, or things you are doing well and want to stick with. You might want to change a couple of things, but in overtime, you keep playing your game.
Montreal and Washington got fined for pre-game antics today. Has the league said anything to your team about the situation with the warmups?
Berube: Nothing new or outside the normal. I don’t think our guys get involved in that.
