Craig Berube addressed the media after his team’s 5-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks, which improved the Maple Leafs’ record to 22-15-7.
On the team’s performance:
The penalty kill was really good. It had to be early, with our penalties in the first period.
Our goalie was solid.
Our power play got us an early goal, so special teams were good.
Overall, in terms of the effort, it was a good win.
On how Max Domi’s fight energized the bench:
It does. Max has a lot of influence and respect on our team. When he takes on a way bigger opponent and does what he does, he can handle himself.
It is good to see. Max has played really well lately. It seems like there is some really good chemistry between him and Matthews.
On whether he was able to land both right and left-handed punches during his playing/fighting days, as Domi did in his fight:
I didn’t really get many lefts in. I was mostly a righty, to be honest with you. But he is good at it. The old man taught him.
“DOMI THROWS A BUNCH OF RIGHT HANDS!”
DOMI VS PETTERSSON FIGHT
🔊 @Bonsie1951 @Jim_Ralph pic.twitter.com/d6Qc3DIxbm
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) January 11, 2026
On Matias Maccelli’s power-play goal and his overall power-play contributions:
He has a lot of composure with the puck and makes a lot of plays. He does a great job on entries on the power play, when handling the puck on the half-wall, and he makes good plays.
It was a great goal — a great read by Willy to see him there, and he fed him. He’s been playing really well. Obviously, confidence is a big thing, and he has a lot of confidence right now with the puck.
On the reasons for the team’s improved consistency since the Christmas break:
Well, we’re healthier, for sure, and the goaltending, for sure. It is more stabilized after goaltending injuries early on.
We’ve scored goals all year, to be honest. I know the power play hadn’t been, but we were scoring. We weren’t defending. We are defending a lot better, and we’re keeping the puck out of our net. That is the biggest difference for me.
The PK has been good all year.
On William Nylander’s ability to make it look easy offensively:
Yeah, he is capable of that. He is a skilled guy with a lot of talent. Tonight, Willy got three points, and for me, it was the work. He was skating. He was back-checking. He was stripping people of pucks. When he does that stuff, he can be a great player, obviously.
On the team’s injury list shortening:
Yeah, it is great. We are getting healthier as it goes along here. Having Brandon Carlo back has been a big, big help, with what he does back there on the PK, defending, and being the big body back there. I thought he had a solid game tonight, and he has been solid since he’s been back.
On the team answering the bell physically when Joseph Woll was touched in the crease:
Great job by Max. You can see everybody is like a pack of wolves. Get in there, and stick up for your teammates and the goalie. Cowboy was in there.
It’s good. We’re tight right now, and we have to keep being tight.
On Scott Laughton’s faceoff prowess:
It is a great weapon, and we are a great faceoff team. He has been on a roll, especially on the penalty kill. He starts on his offside a lot, but he wins them a lot, which is huge to get the puck down the ice. It kills the momentum of the power play a little bit.
He has been very effective, and that line has been very good for us. I know Bobby (McMann) was on it tonight, and there are different guys at times, but the line doesn’t change their mindset. They just keep playing the same way.
On the team’s strength down the middle:
They’re solid down the middle, for sure, starting in the faceoff circle. Our centermen are doing a great job of positioning from our own zone out in the middle of the ice and demanding the puck.
We’ve talked about Matthews and what the difference is. That’s the big difference for me: getting the puck in the middle of the ice and attacking from the middle of the ice.
On the difficult road trip coming up:
Yeah, it’s tough. Good teams. It is not an easy couple of games to start with. We’re heading to Colorado tomorrow. There are two late games back-to-back with Utah and Colorado, who is a great team right now.
It is going to be a good test for us. We’re going to have to really defend well. Special teams will be important, and all aspects of the game will be important. They’re a very good team.
It is all good teams we’re playing on this trip. It will be a tough trip.
Game Highlights w/Joe Bowen: Maple Leafs 5 vs. Canucks 0
