Craig Berube addressed the media after his team’s 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers, which improved the Maple Leafs’ record to 20-15-7.
On the team’s performance:
Good team effort. Everybody had a part in it tonight.
It was great having Carlo back tonight. I thought he played well. He has been out for a long time, but I thought he really did a good job there tonight.
All around, it was a good team effort. The penalty kill had to do a good job, especially early in the third, with the penalties starting the period and then right after again. Getting those kills was big.
On the meaning of a win over the Panthers:
Well, it always means a lot playing against Florida or Tampa. You create some rivals against these teams from playing against them in the playoffs last year. It was similar to when Ottawa came in here. Those games are intense, and it is going to be intense. We know that.
When you play Florida, you have to match the physicality and match how they’re coming at you all night. They are going to put it in (deep) and come at you. I thought we did a good job for two periods of exposing that at times and creating some odd-man rushes and breakaways a couple of times. We did a good job with that.
Everybody had a part in it tonight, which was good. We needed that.
On the hit from behind on Scott Laughton by Eetu Luostarinen:
Well, it is a penalty. That is a penalty all day long. They call that 95% of the time, but they didn’t call it that time. That’s whatever. I am not going to complain about it.
No call by the refs on this 🧐 pic.twitter.com/x1LzRWer58
— Jesse Blake (@JesseBlake) January 7, 2026
On Matthew Knies’ performance (1g,1a):
He was really strong on the puck and in battles tonight. Again, he is scoring some goals that are probably 10 feet out around the net. That is where he scores his goals.
On the goal by Nic Roy’s line (finished by Easton Cowan):
They’ve been good. They’ve been solid. For me, they’ve been solid in all three zones. They’re in the offensive zone, and in the last three or four games, they’ve probably created as many chances as anybody on our game with their puck play and what they’re doing there.
That line has been very, very good for us. Getting some goals from that line is big — secondary scoring.
On the Leafs initiating physicality and driving the net vs. a Panthers team known for both of those traits:
We talked about it this morning and before the game. This game is played in the corners and at the net. That is how they’re going to play: they’re going to win the scrums in the corner, get it up to their D, and they’re going to the net.
We have to get into guys. We have to have numbers around there. We have to block shots and battle around the net, and vice versa at the other end. We have to win the swarms in the offensive zone. We have to get the puck up top. And we have to win the races to the net.
We did a good job of it tonight. That is the game against these guys.
On Mats Sundin flying in for the Auston Matthews goals record ceremony:
It is great. Mats is an unbelievable guy. I didn’t really know him that well until last year, when I met him. I played against him for a number of years.
Great human being. Great player. To come here and present an award to Matthews shows a lot. Great job by Matty for accomplishing that feat.
Game Highlights w/Joe Bowen: Maple Leafs 4 vs. Panthers 1
