Ahead of Tuesday’s game in Montreal, head coach Craig Berube discussed the call-up of Bo Groulx, the difficulty of navigating a lost season with the players, and the challenge against the Canadiens.
What was the thinking behind the call-up of Bo Groulx?
Berube: Well, we want to see guys. We want to see what they’re all about and where they are in their games. He has had a good year in the minors. We’re bringing some guys up here who we want to take a look at… I am not sure if he is going in tonight yet
He’s a very intelligent player. He is a smart guy and a student of the game. He went down to the minors and had a very good offensive year. We’ll see when we get him in here.
Is it harder to get our message across when your team is in this predicament?
Berube: It is always harder. The guys are feeling it, right? It is always a little more difficult to try to pull them out of it. But that is part of my job — to instill as much confidence in how we need to play, and look ahead to tonight’s game and how we need to play the game.
You want to get out of this situation? You have to get uncomfortable, and you have to work and compete at a high level on every shift.
How do you get the team to listen?
Berube: Ha. They listen. It is just not always that easy. If it were that easy, we wouldn’t lose too many games.
William Nylander was saying it is harder to stay optimistic at a time like this. Are you meeting with the team’s leaders at times like this a little more often?
Berube: I definitely grab guys individually and talk with them. It is just about what we talked about: You have to work your way out of it. It is not just going to happen. It has to be a team effort, and we need every individual to play at a high level, for sure.
I meet with the team leaders. I don’t know if I meet with them more than I normally do, but there are definitely conversations that are had.
Is it harder for someone like Nylander, who has never experienced this before in the NHL?
Berube: For sure. It is new for him, for sure. But every player and every team goes through adversity at one point in their career. This is some adversity that he is normally not used to. He has to work his way out of it.
This is adversity that you are not used to as a coach, either. How are you handling it?
Berube: I keep my head down and coach. I try to get guys to play the best hockey they can play, and the team to play the best hockey they can play. That is how I handle it. Nobody is happy in this situation, but you have to keep fighting, keep working, and keep building to try to get better.
How do you think your team got into this situation?
Berube: I am not going to speculate on that now. I got asked this question the other day. It is for another time.
What gives you hope that the team can pull itself out of this?
Berube: Because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen this team play extremely well since I have been here. We have some great players. I am very optimistic.
What style of game is needed from your team?
Berube: We have to be a heavy forecheck team. We will need to be physical. If we do a good job with our forecheck, our physicality, and good defense, we will transition to offense tonight. That is how we have to approach this game.
What is the key to success against this Montreal team?
Berube: Montreal has always been a big rivalry game. The intensity right away, and playing good hockey with the puck — making this team play in its own end right away, and putting the pressure on them — is important.
They have some great skill over there, obviously, and they have a backend that is highly skilled and can skate. How we forecheck tonight and how we pressure them in their zone will be a key element to the game.
They have a lot of skill. They score a lot of goals. We will need to play good defense. If we do a good job defensively, we’ll get some opportunities the other way.
