Ahead of Game 5, head coach Craig Berube discussed the opportunity to end the series, sticking with Anthony Stolarz in net, OEL’s offensive contributions, and the team’s low hit (recorded) count through four games of the series.
Morning Skate Notes – Game 5
Craig Berube sticking with the same lineup for Game 5
Likes how things are going for Leafs and sees no reason to change @TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 29, 2025
The team has performed really well on home ice for a while now. What have you liked about the way the team has played at Scotiabank Arena?
Berube: I think the starts to the games have been really good. We are going to need a good start tonight. We need to be aggressive and do things right. We need everybody. We are not relying on one or two guys. We need everybody to do their job and contribute.
What is your sense of Auston Matthews’ status after a day of rest?
Berube: Rested.
He is good. He played a lot of minutes the other day in the game. It was a little extra rest for him.
What stands out about Matthews’ process for getting ready, no matter the situation?
Berube: At this time of year, he has played a lot of hockey, and he is good at managing his body and what he needs. It is a lot like Johnny Tavares. He has learned a lot from Johnny, watching him over the years and how he does things. He is pretty dialed in with that department.
Max Pacioretty was saying that Alec Martinez was practically in a wheelchair after games with what he was playing through in Vegas during their playoff run. What is the craziest injury you remember a teammate playing through in your time in the league?
Berube: I remember, in the Flyers series against the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, I was a spectator for most of it, but there were a lot of guys banged up on our team. I remember some of the stuff they were going through. Guys like Tim Kerr and Dave Poulin were really beat up. There were broken bones, ribs, and different things going on, but they found a way to play through it.
It was a great learning experience for me to see some of that at a young age and see what it takes. It takes a lot. When you get that far in the playoffs, you can be pretty beat up, but you find a way to get through it and play.
After all of the overtimes in the last three games, how comfortable do you feel your team will be in that situation if it happens again tonight?
Berube: I think we are fine. I thought we were in good shape the other night. In overtime, it’s shots toward the net, and they find their way in sometimes. That is the way it goes in overtime. We are fine in that situation and comfortable in that situation. We’ll keep playing our game.
How important is it to close this series out as quickly as possible, especially given all of the overtime periods in the series so far?
Berube: I mean, of course, we want to close it out as quickly as we can. We wanted to close it out in game 4, but it didn’t happen. We are not going to sit here and focus on the closeout. We are going to focus on what we need to do to close it out.
What stands out to you about Anthony Stolarz’s ability to bounce back after a loss?
Berube: He is solid. He has been around a long time and is a veteran guy. All goalies go through losses. You have to turn the page, move on, and keep focusing on what you have done well and what you do well as a goalie. That is not going to change. He is going to go out and do his thing, as he has in the past.
During the regular season, the team rotated goalies pretty regularly with a lot of success. The playoffs are a different animal, but where do you stand on potentially playing Woll or using both goalies in the postseason?
Berube: I am just focused on Stolarz playing right now. That is really where I am at. I don’t think there is any reason to change right now.
How seriously have you considered inserting David Kampf into the series?
Berube: It is always talked about, like all of our extra guys, but I’ve liked our game. I don’t see a reason to change it right now.
What is your sense of how Kampf is dealing with all the time on the sidelines?
Berube: He is fine. It is hard for him, for sure, but he got injured at the end of the year, and that is the situation. The team was playing well, and I didn’t want to change the lineup. It is not a knock against him at all. It is just how things are looking and going. That is why I have stuck with what I have stuck with.
He is an important part of the team, for sure, and he has been all year. It is hard for those guys not to play — I get it — but they have been very good team-first guys.
Do you have to do anything in particular with those players when it could be mentally difficult for them not to play?
Berube: They just have to stay with their practice, get in the extra work, and stay ready. That is the most important thing. The mental side of it all is what it is. You have to deal with it as a player and a pro. It is not easy. They want to play and be in there, but right now, they are not. They also know that they have to stay ready because an opportunity is coming.
The team ranks near the bottom of the league in hits in the first round. Is that stat misleading? Do you like the team’s physicality in the series?
Berube: I do. There are times when we can be more physical at times. I call it arriving on time to make the contact. Sure, there are times when I think we can do a better job of it, but I am not too concerned about it.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has already scored a couple of big goals in the playoffs. What kind of impact has he made on the team this season and this series?
Berube: Much like during the year, he has been a very good player for us. He plays the left side, the right side, and with different partners at times during the season. He just goes and plays. He is a very calm and cool guy out there.
It is really nice to see him get a couple of goals — for the team, but for him, too. He has that impact. He can do it.
