After Friday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the status of Auston Matthews and John Tavares’ injuries, his early impressions of Chris Tanev, and the special teams work underway in camp.
2024 Training Camp – September 27 Lines
What is your sense of Auston Matthews’ status?
Berube: He is doing well. He looked great out there today. He is in good shape. I have no issues and no worries there.
How is John Tavares feeling today?
Berube: Sore. He is day-to-day right now.
What do you like about Lane Lambert’s approach to the penalty kill?
Berube: Pressure. There is a lot of pressure from the forwards. The defensemen have to stay home and do a good job around our net with good sticks, but it is more about the pressure and not letting teams have too much time with the puck.
It is a work in progress. We have to keep banging away at it.
What gives into giving so many different players looks on the PK? Are you trying to find something?
Berube: We are all new here. We want to see what guys can do in those situations and how they react to certain things — their stick details, their minds, and how they think on the PK. We have to give them opportunities and see how they look.
What made today the right day to work on the special teams?
Berube: They have been going hard. It is important to get that in there. We try to practice on the day of the games, but it is not the same look as a live so-called scrimmage.
We wanted a lighter day for the guys who played last night and have been going pretty hard for eight or nine days. It was a good day to get 30-35 minutes in on the power play and penalty kill.
Why were Easton Cowan and Bobby McMann in the John Tavares spot on the power play?
Berube: Well, because [Tavares] wasn’t out there. Pretty much sums it up.
But they are guys, too, who, if they get on a power play, could be in those spots. You always have to pop guys in and out. Your power play is not always going to be [full strength]. There could be guys out of the lineup. We’ll try guys there and see how they look.
What are you seeing from Chris Tanev in camp so far?
Berube: First of all, the character jumps out at me right away. He is a character guy and a team guy. He lays it on the line out there blocking shots.
The details in his game are really good. Solid defender and penalty killer. We can play him against top lines on other teams, and he does a really good job there.
He is a second and third-effort guy.
In the three games remaining, are you going to give Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz full 60-minute games?
Berube: Yeah, we will try to get both of them in for a 60-minute game.
Auston Matthews on his injury situation
I am feeling much better. It was just maintenance stuff. Nothing crazy. It just needed a couple of days to settle down. Feeling good now.
Matthews on Mats Sundin visiting training camp
It has been great. Getting to know him and talking to him a little bit in Sweden last year was great. Having him around here during camp, with a little more free time to chat and so on, is a really cool aspect of playing here.
We have so many alumni who have had such an impact on the organization and the city. With the kind of resume he has and the career he built for himself, he is one of the best Leafs of all time. It is really cool to have him here and get to speak to him.
William Nylander on the incident involving Nick Robertson
Just an accidental incident. Nothing more than that.
He called me after the game. I said, “It’s all good. You scored, so it’s all good.”
I wasn’t ready for it because I didn’t felt it was needed at that point. I wasn’t really ready for it, but it is okay.
The ice is also soft at the beginning of the year, so that contributed to me digging forward into the ice a little bit, leading to the toe pick. But whatever. It is what it is.
