On a travel day on Saturday, head coach Craig Berube discussed Matthew Knies’ status, the emotions of a Game 7, how the team refocused after a tough Game 5, and the one-year anniversary of his hiring as the Leafs’ head coach.
What can you tell us about Matthew Knies, how he is feeling today, and what his outlook is moving forward?
Berube: I haven’t seen him today. I don’t have an update for you right now, but I will today at some point, for sure, as to how he is doing and how we will proceed going forward with him.
How much has Knies meant to the team during this run?
Berube: He touches every part of the game, for sure, and scored some big goals for us. He has been a very good player in the playoffs and throughout the season, putting in big goals for us around the net, being that net-front presence, and penalty killing. He is a very important piece.
What is your message to the team over the next 24 hours or so?
Berube: Relax. Get rested. Focus on what we focused on in Game 6, really, with the way we played the game. I talked about the skating, being aggressive, managing the puck, and playing simply. That is really what you have to do in Game 7.
I don’t think a whole lot needs to change. You have to be determined. You have to be desperate. And you have to have urgency.
Are you going to show them any tape of the Game 7 final in 2019?
Berube: Haha, no, we are not going to go back there.
What is the day before a Game 7 like, coming off the adrenaline of a Game 6?
Berube: We stayed overnight [in Florida], so we could at least relax for a while and rest. Now, we fly home. It is about getting away from it for a bit, relaxing, and getting some rest. That is really important; we are going to need the energy in Game 7. Rest is really crucial right now.
What is it like coaching in a Game 7?
Berube: It’s a lot like last night’s game. You wait around for it all day, which is a little bit painful, but once it gets going, it is great. You are in the moment. There is a lot of emotion going on in the game. There is a lot of intensity. As the head coach, it is important to stay calm and keep your players directed in the right way while staying calm, too. It is a lot of fun. I enjoy it.
After the poor display in Game 5 and the backlash from the fans, what was the key to keeping the group’s spirits high after such an emotionally disappointing game?
Berube: It goes with what we talked about before the playoffs. There are a lot of ups and downs. Game 5 was a downer, for sure. You turn the page and get focused on the next game.
These guys know how to play good hockey. It is not like they don’t know how. It is about getting the focus back. You have to move on from a tough game just like you have to move on from a good game. You have to get focused again.
They have done a good job of getting focused for the next one and being more determined. I use the word determination, and I thought there was a lot of determination in Game 6. That is on them. They did a good job of that. They brought the emotion.
We just have to work. It’s about work before skill. Skill can take over at some point.
Max Pacioretty has been phenomenal in elimination playoff games. After all he has been through this season and over his career, what have you learned about him this year?
Berube: We talked about his injuries and how he has battled back. It was kind of an up-and-down deal with injuries again this year, but he stays with it. He has a lot of character, and he is a guy who wants to help the team win. That is really what he is here for, and he has done a really good job of it. He got another huge goal for us last night.
Can the momentum carry over from Game 6?
Berube: No, not really. You have to reset, win or lose. It is important to really reset and understand what you need to do. The process is very important. We just need to understand what we need to do in a Gaem 7 at home, how we need to play that game, and your mindset going into that game.
It is the one-year anniversary of your hiring in Toronto.
Berube: Oh yeah? Nice! I didn’t even know that.
How much growth have you seen from day one to now with the group?
Berube: A lot, to be honest with you. It is not maybe not so much what you see on the ice but what I see internally with how the leadership group has grown.
I always talk about the buy-in. A new change of a coach brings in a new system, a new identity of how we want to play, and a culture. I think our team has great buy-in. That is why it works. If you have the buy-in, it is going to work, and they bought in.
