Ahead of Tuesday’s game against Florida, Craig Berube discussed the familiar challenge presented by the Panthers, his Robertson-Roy-Cowan line, Brandon Carlo’s return to the lineup, and the message to Morgan Rielly amid his run of minuses.
With Brandon Carlo good to go for Tuesday’s game, what boost can he provide on the blue line?
Berube: He is a stability guy, right? It is his first game back in a long time, so we have to manage his game and his minutes, but he is a guy who eats minutes, gets in the way, blocks shots, and all of that type of stuff. He has a good stick. He is a good defensive defenseman — good around his net, and a good penalty killer.
Morgan Rielly has had a tough run in terms of the minuses piling up. Is it a question of him trying to do too much to make up for some lost bodies on the blue line?
Berube: You don’t want to chase that number. He had it down pretty low there for a bit, and then he’s had a tough run. We have all the confidence in him. Keep it simple. Play your game. Don’t look at it as much as you can. Just do your job.
My conversation is about not forcing things or trying to chase it. Just make the plays that are there in front of you, defend well, and do your thing offensively when you get the opportunities. Just keep it simple.
The line with Nic Roy, Nick Robertson, and Easton Cowan might not be how you’d draw up a prototypical Craig Berube third line, but what have you liked about it?
Berube: When we put that line together, we were kind of all looking at it and wondering, “What is it?” But it has really worked out well so far.
Nic Roy is really strong on the puck down low, and he gets a lot of pucks stalled. Nicky and Cowan are quick. They’re doing a good job of moving in the offensive zone, creating some slot shots, and things like that. They are beating their guys off the walls and making these plays to the inside.
It has really turned out well. They’re transporting the puck up the ice from our zone. Cowan is a great puck transporter, and he is a young kid yet. There is a bright future for him. He does a great job of that.
It is a different scenario this time, facing Florida with the two teams in a battle for a playoff spot, as opposed to the division lead.
Berube: Yeah, it’s a huge game, obviously. We can actually tie them in points tonight, so we can move up or keep moving up. We know Florida very well, and they’re playing well. I know they have injuries, too, but it is going to be a tough, hard game.
We know that from that seven-game series last year. They play a certain way, and they really don’t deviate from it. They’re going to come at you in all areas of the ice tonight, and there is not going to be a lot of room. You have to be comfortable with that and patient in our game. It comes down to competing and working tonight.
How difficult has it been this year to implement changes systems-wise with the condensed, Olympic-impacted schedule and so little practice time?
Berube: It is difficult, especially now. Early on, we made some adjustments and got some practice time in. The adjustments have worked out well, but it is tight now for practice time. We got one in yesterday, but it is probably going to be a bit before we can get back in there and get on the ice for practices.
Looking at it, it is going to be a lot of morning skates, but in morning skates, you have to work on some systems stuff. It is difficult, but you have to try to implement some things, especially around what you’re struggling at. It is important, in morning skates, to get a drill in there that can work on some of those things.
