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

After Thursday’s skate, Craig Berube discussed Max Domi’s fit on the Matthews line, the Lorentz-Laughton-Cowan line, and the status of William Nylander and Simon Benoit.

Practice Lines – September 25

It was the first look at Max Domi with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. What does Domi have to do to make the most of it?

Berube: Take what he did in practice today, and take it to the game. He skated and shot pucks. He looked really good to me. I like that. Direct.

Do you value the versatility a forward such as Domi brings to the lineup?

Berube: For sure, and they provide secondary scoring. Wherever they are playing, with their skill set, it can provide a line with some secondary scoring, which will be important.

How would you describe Calle Jarnkrok’s training camp so far?

Berube: Very good, in my opinion. He had a great first game in Ottawa. His work ethic and practice habits are exceptional. He looks like a good Jarny. He’s healthy.

What led to the decision to put together the trio of Lorentz – Laughton – Cowan for another game?

Berube: I like the way Cowan is playing. It is another good opportunity for him to go up and play. [Montreal] is going to have a pretty good lineup, I’d imagine. I want to see that line up there. They’ll be playing against good players. It is an opportunity to see what he can do, and what the line can do together.

Does Easton Cowan remind you of any player in the past?

Berube: Not me.

I like that question. I wish I had more time to think about it, so I could possibly come up with an answer. Not off the top of my head — I can’t think of a player — but he has very good instincts for the game, especially on the offensive side of things. He is a highly competitive player; he is so competitive on his stick and when battling for pucks. He skates well.

There is a lot of upside there — not only offensively, but good offensive players, most of the time, have the instincts to play good defense, whether you are killing a penalty or what have you. They know what offensive guys are going to do. They can anticipate.

He is a guy who anticipates the game well, for me.

Do you notice more competitiveness from Cowan this year compared to last?

Berube: Yeah, way more. Last year, he may have come in with too high expectations. There was a lot of talk about him throughout the summer by [the media] that he was going to make the team. I am kidding, but in the year before, he had a really good game, right? I think it built up on him a little bit and got ahead of him.

This year, he had a great summer. He looks stronger and bigger. In terms of his expectations, he is not looking at it like, “Oh, I have to fit in on a top line. I am just here to make the team, do what I can to make the team, and do what I have to do to make the team.”

What is the upside to the line with Lorentz, Laughton, and Cowan?

Berube: Cowan can make plays, right? Again, it’s some secondary scoring. That is the way I look at it.

What does Cowan have to do to ultimately make the team?

Berube: That is a good question. I can’t answer it. That is a hypothetical question. I would be putting him in a bad spot, myself in a bad spot, and everyone else in a bad spot by saying what he has to do to make the team. Just keep playing. We’ll make decisions when the time comes.

You have coached and coached against players whom Dale Hunter helped develop in London. What do you notice about so many of their young guys that makes them ready for the NHL?

Berube: They play an NHL brand of hockey and teach it. They are in the winning department every year, it seems like, and he does get good players, haha. The players who come out of there are NHL-ready, in my opinion, with how they do things there in London.

Is there something you’re looking to see from Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua as they make the trip to Montreal?

Berube: Just seeing what they can do together. It is a line — Joshua, Roy, and Maccelli — that I thought about throughout the summer. I know Roy is not playing tonight, but we will see what it looks like together.

Did Simon Benoit skate today? Has there been a setback, or was that the plan all along?

Berube: No, he didn’t. That was the plan.

What kept William Nylander off the ice today?

Berube: Just maintenance, camp-type of stuff. He got a little banged up. He is fine. That is all it was.

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