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

After Wednesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Morgan Rielly’s chance to reset over the break, the team’s goals during this week of practice, and the Olympic action over in Milan.

For someone like Morgan Rielly, who the team leans on so much, what does it mean to get him some rest over the break, given his injury?

Berube: The rest helps. Before he was actually out, it was lingering for a while. This rest helps him, amongst other guys, for sure. Watching him out here, he looks like he is in a lot better place than he was — mentally, too, for sure.

For everyone, mentally, they get a break. The season is a grind with the Olympics, the packed schedule, travel, and all of the back-to-backs. It is a grind, and it is good to get a couple of weeks where they can get rested up and rejuvenate themselves.

After practice time has been at such a premium, what is it like to get a week like this, with so much time on the ice?

Berube: Very good. I have been very happy with the last two days of practice, especially today. We’re working on defensive things — the stuff we need to work on going forward. Coming out of the break, we have to tighten it up.

Are you implementing any new wrinkles in practice, offensively or defensively, at a time like this?

Berube: I think we’ve implemented our stuff before the break, with what we were going to implement, when we had everybody here. It’s nothing new right now. We’re just trying to dial everything in, in all three zones, as best as we can.

What’s behind the decision to call up William Villeneuve from the Marlies today?

Berube: Just to get numbers. We had two kids from the university, and one of them was here today, but Villeneuve wasn’t playing, so we got him up here practicing with us.

Is it any different practicing while you know Team Canada is playing an Olympic quarterfinal?

Berube: Honestly, I don’t go out on the ice thinking about Team Canada. I just worry about our team. Hopefully, our players are just focused on what they need to do on the ice, and it looked like they were. But it is obviously a big game today, and we’ll all be in there watching it.

It’s great. The guys hang around, have some lunch, and they’re all kind of glued to the game. It is a big deal. The Olympics are a big deal, and we all know what it means to Canada.

What will it be like to see William Nylander and Auston Matthews facing off with such high stakes? Do you have a preference between the USA and Sweden?

Berube: It will be an exciting game, like the [Canada] one. They’re big games. It’ll be exciting watching those guys compete against each other.

I don’t have a [preference]. I am not going to get into that. We have some of our guys over there, and none of them play for Canada. You are hoping for the best for all of them. Obviously, I am Canadian, but I still cheer for my players. And I’m obviously a huge Canadian fan.

Practice Lines – Feb. 18

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