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

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the transition back to the NHL schedule for the Olympians on the team, the status of Dakota Joshua, John Tavares, and Chris Tanev, and the plan for Easton Cowan coming out of the break.

What did you see from William Nylander in his first practice post-Olympics?

Berube: Normal Willy. He looks good. He is ready to go, he says, and he feels good. He took a couple of days to relax, rest up a little bit, and get over everything on an emotional level and on the mental side of things, more than the physical. Obviously, the Olympics are a grind over there for those guys. But he is good to go, and he feels good.

Do you have any thoughts on Auston Matthews getting invited to the White House and meeting the President today?

Berube: Yeah, it is great. They won the gold medal. It is a great honour to go there for these guys. Enjoy the day there with them.

Do you expect to see anything different from Matthews as a leader now that he has experienced such an accomplishment?

Berube: I don’t think so. Obviously, winning is huge, right? It is a big deal, but what you’re going to see or hear from him — for me, personally — is about the whole event, what went on, their team, how they did it, and so on. I don’t think you will see any difference in him as a player, person, or leader. He will just keep doing what he does.

Do you expect him to play in Tampa?

Berube: I do.

Do you expect Matthews to hit the ground running, or might there be some fatigue there?

Berube: Going off last year, I definitely think there was some fatigue for the guys coming back from Four Nations. You never know. We will see. He is riding a pretty good high right now with winning. He is feeling good. Again, we will evaluate that tomorrow and see where he is at. I’ll get a better feel when I talk to him tonight.

There have been some plays off for a sizable break, and there are some players coming off the Olympic experience. How do you get everybody back on the same page, understanding the importance of this week of games?

Berube: Obviously, those guys weren’t here for the week of practice we had, with the focus of everything, where we are at, and what we need to do moving forward here. But they know. As I said, it is tough going over there and not winning. That was their goal, and it didn’t happen. But they are grown men. They are athletes and pros. They understand it. They move on, and they understand the importance of this team, where we are at, and what we need to do.

How tricky will it be to manage ice time with the back-to-back games right out of the gates?

Berube: For sure, we will have to roll lines up front and on D. It will be critical to get everybody going. We need everybody to be successful. That’s how I look at it. If you look at the whole month, you will need everybody in your lineup to take minutes.

How is John Tavares doing?

Berube: He just came down with the flu. He is feeling pretty good today, actually, but I thought it would be better if he didn’t come on the ice. He can get a quick skate in tomorrow morning, but he should be fine.

Is Dakota Joshua good to go?

Berube: He is good to go. I will manage him; we have a back-to-back right out of the gates, so I have to make a decision on that. With the time he missed, a back-to-back right away would be tough.

What are the expectations for Easton Cowan coming out of the break?

Berube: Definitely, he is part of this. He is part of the team. We will see where it is at. I am not sure if he will start in Tampa yet or not, but he is definitely an important part of the team. We’ll see how it goes. I can’t really determine that right now.

Is there any clarity on Chris Tanev’s situation?

Berube: No, not really. We are still trying to get to the level needed for him to join the team practice. He is not there yet.

When contemplating the goalie split for the back-to-back, do you consider Anthony Stolarz’s matchup against his former team in Florida at all?

Berube: No, not so much. I am still mulling that over a little bit. I will think about it some more and discuss it with our goalie coach. They’ll both start. They’ve both had good success in both buildings. I go back to Woll going into Florida this year and winning that game. There are all kinds of things that pop into your head, but we need both goalies. Both will play, obviously, and we’ll need them the rest of the way through.

Practice Lines – Feb. 24

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