Ahead of Saturday’s game against Montreal, head coach Craig Berube discussed Joseph Woll’s injury timeline, the team’s confidence in Dennis Hildeby, the keys to building off a successful road trip, the chemistry of his third line, and much more.
What is the update on Joseph Woll? Is it better than expected?
Berube: He’ll be a week, hopefully. That’s where he is at right now. No, it’s not “better”; “better” would be that he is ready to go tonight, haha, but that is not the case. We are not expecting it to be too long. I am not going to comment too much on it. One week.
Do you expect to roll with Dennis Hildeby the whole week, or do you anticipate Artur Akhtyamov could make his NHL debut?
Berube: I am just going to focus on Dennis going tonight. We will play by ear after that, with where we are at. We have a little bit of room this week. I know we play Monday again, so it is a quick turnaround there, but we have a little time. There is a possibility that he could go the distance here.
What is the mental challenge for the team coming off a long road trip and now with Woll’s absence?
Berube: I don’t think the mindset changes. I don’t. I think you have to just go out and keep playing. We had a great trip. It is about not being complacent tonight and being ready to go from the drop of the puck.
I don’t think much changes with our game based on who is in net. Dennis has played well for us. He came in the other night and did a good job. We have confidence in Dennis.
Regarding the sheer number of injuries this season, does it start to feel like the team is cursed, for lack of a better explanation?
Berube: I mean, I have been involved with this before in terms of injuries. It is part of it. It has been tough, for sure, but other guys are coming in and stepping up. That is the job. That is why you have extra players to fill holes, play well, and get a bigger opportunity. It is the next-man-up mentality. I don’t get surprised by another injury.
What did a long road trip together do for the team in the last few weeks?
Berube: Going on the road together, you’re together and playing hockey. They’re together all the time. They form some closeness on the road. I thought our team took that onto the ice, to be honest with you. That is what I saw.
You changed the look on the power play in the last game. What are you looking for from them, besides execution?
Berube: Obviously, it is execution, right? The power play, in general, is about execution and urgency. They had some plays that they made; Cowan made a couple of nice plays for really good opportunities that didn’t go in. With Cowan, he is the one guy who makes a lot of plays. He has great vision, and he can really work the hashmarks-and-down areas and make some plays to our guys who are shooters. That is a look.
What have you liked about the Joshua-Roy-McMann line as they’ve stacked together good games?
Berube: Puck possession. I think Nic Roy does a great job of hanging onto pucks and is very strong. That gets Bobby and Joshua down there in the offensive zone. They are a big, heavy line. They possess pucks down there. They are doing a good job of getting to the net, too, so offensively, you have two big guys at the net. They’re getting pucks into that area and scoring some goals because of it.
And they’ve all been really responsible defensively, which we need. It is a good line that I can throw out there in the defensive zone against anybody, which I have done with the matchups. That makes it easier, on that end of things, to get certain matchups.
They have size, and they are obviously forming chemistry now. Bobby McMann’s speed drives a lot of it.
How encouraging is it to see Chris Tanev and Marshall Rifai out skating?
Berube: It was great to see both of them out there. Tanev will be looked at this week, and hopefully, it will be good news, and he can get more involved here.
What goes into a pre-game speech for you?
Berube: It depends on who you are playing and the significance of things, with where the team is at. Throughout the season, it is about where the team is and what they need at that moment. Maybe they don’t even need to hear me too much. You have to have a feel for it all.
That is really what my pre-game speeches get into. It is a feel thing, knowing your team, knowing where they’re at and what they need, and who you are playing. Those things all play into it.
You spoke to the minor hockey coaches today. Was there an underlying message you wanted them to take away from it?
Berube: I was just trying to give them my perspective on how I went about things in practice today, and the reasons I did certain things. It was also about why I got into coaching, why I love coaching, and why I like to be involved in the game.
As a player, there was nothing better than playing the game. I had the opportunity to play in this league for a long time; I was very fortunate. Why did I want to get into coaching? To stay in the game, be in the locker room, and be part of a team. That is the best thing in the world, in my opinion. Nothing better.
What is the number-one question that young coaches or minor-hockey coaches ask you?
Berube: That is a good question. I think a lot of coaches ask about accountability and what goes into it. I think that is the biggest thing.
The other thing they ask about a lot… I think too many coaches want to change and try new things. It is not about that. It is about sticking with the process and beating it into your team — mentally, haha. “This is the way we want to do things.” You can’t just jump around and change things all the time because it is not working. You have to stick with the process and keep banging away at it.
But a lot of people always want to know about accountability. It is always a question that comes up out there.
