Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach
Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Anthony Stolarz’s progress toward a return, sticking with the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner duo, the team’s low shot count in Game 4, and possible retaliation against Max Domi for his hit on Aleksander Barkov at the buzzer of Game 4.

Practice Lines – May 13

*OEL was off the ice with an illness

What is the latest with Anthony Stolarz? Do you have a best-case scenario for when he might be able to play against?

Berube: He is progressing. He was on the ice a little bit. He is doing much better.

No, I don’t [have a timeline].

You have been consistent with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews as a duo this season. Why have you remained so committed to it even during the dry spells that come along?

Berube: It is not all about scoring, for me and for them. It is about the game and playing 200 feet, doing all of the little things that need to be done. I have gone away from them for a bit, and it is fine, but it is not exactly what I want to see, so I put them back together. They have been a great pair for a long time.

After Game 4, you talked about possibly tinkering with the lineup for Game 5. Is that something you are still considering?

Berube: Yeah, I am always thinking about it.

There are possible moves. You have to look at what you’re taking out, what you’re putting in, and what the benefit is of taking one or two guys out to put two new guys in. What are they providing? What are we losing? It is always a combination of [factors]. At the same time, sometimes, a change is good.

What was the message to Max Domi after the way Game 4 ended? The Panthers might retaliate.

Berube: I mean, what are they going to do? They can go after him, but Max has been around.

I get it. Emotions get high. Things happen. It is part of the game, and we all know that. He is going to be fine. Just go out, play his game, and do his thing. You can’t worry about whether there is going to be a reaction. You just have to go out and play.

I don’t think there will be a reaction, but I don’t really have a whole lot to say on it.

Would you like to see more discipline?

Berube: Yeah, from our whole team after the last game. We went to the box five times. It is a lot. We talked about it today. We can’t go to the box that many times, especially the four in the first period. It takes your momentum away. It takes certain guys out of their rhythm on the bench. We’re overusing other guys. It is not a good recipe.

The stick [penalties] aren’t good. You have to control your stick. We all know that. Those are the ones that hurt you, in my opinion. I get that there are physical penalties and hits — you are going to go to the box at times — but that is the result of playing the game hard.

Matthew Tkachuk seemed like he was trying to get into William Nylander’s head at the end of Game 4. You’ve talked before about leaving Tkachuk alone. Are you confident Nylander can shrug off that kind of mental battle?

Berube: He probably didn’t even hear him. He doesn’t hear me.

Regarding the veteran additions with playoff experience that the team has made over the last year, is this their time to shine as the series reaches its later stages?

Berube: For sure. Experience is good. For the guys who have been through it and battled through it, their message to the team is important. They’ve been through this type of situation. They have done a really good job of it, and they are showing it on the ice, too.

Have you seen a difference in the Panthers’ game between the first two games and the last two games?

Berube: They were definitely a heavier forecheck team in the last two games. They were tighter. They’re not giving you a lot of room. That is definitely a change, in my opinion. We want back for Game 3, pucks were going in deep, and they were coming. There was a difference, for sure, compared to the games at home.

What is the key to generating more shots on net than in Game 3? Did you feel the players were in positions to do so, and it was a decision-making issue?

Berube: I don’t think we passed up too many opportunities. It is about getting deliveries to the net quicker. The pressure is coming, right? They are good at it. We can deliver quicker.

We missed the net a lot in the last game. We had 20 missed shots in the game. I get it; it is tough sometimes, and you’re trying to get it around people. They do a good job.

We got to the puck on the forecheck, and we had a lot of stalls in their zone, but we have to get the puck out of those swarms, which will generate more opportunities to get pucks to the net.

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