Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Post Game @ Columbus Blue Jackets | November 26, 2025

Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Post Game @ Columbus Blue Jackets | November 26, 2025

if you could take us through that goal because the response was needed at that time and we could see it on your face how much it meant. Yeah, obviously good to get the two points there. Uh big win for us to start the road trip. Uh great play by John winning that battle and then another great play by Willie. Uh I felt like all night we had a good for check and it’s only a matter of time before we buried one. You said to see it go in. You said last a few days ago I got to bury one of these. Yeah, it felt good to bury it and help my team. So just really excited that we got the win. How about your goalender tonight? because he ever since he’s come back, he has been really solid tonight. It looked as though he took another step. Yeah, he’s been great. I mean, uh he was our rock there tonight. Uh got the belt for a reason. Uh yeah, honestly, just, you know, super happy we have him. I mean, just made a lot of great saves. Uh kept us in the game at moments. So, just uh you know, it was a very good game from him for sure. What’s it like going up against? Yeah, it’s not easy to score, but it makes you better. So, like I said, it’s nice to have him. you looked on your goal as though that was just an automatic reaction. You starting to feel as though you know the things that you’re doing are becoming more and more automatic and more rhythmic. Yeah, I feel like my mindset’s just getting better uh over the years. Uh obviously a turnover I went back in the second and just tried to my best the next shift and felt the rest of the game I made some good plays. So just trying to have that mindset where you’re you know flipping the page but also you know trying to learn from it. So just doing that and feel like I’m getting better at that. John sets you up there for the goal. from your perspective, how does he win so many battles? Yeah, I mean, you just see in practice how hard he works and every puck battle he wins there. So, it translates to the game and you you pick up stuff like that for sure. It might not have been the prettiest start for either side, but did you start to feel with momentum? I mean, obviously you tie the game, but as it went on in overtime, did you guys feel like you were confident as a group in the way you were playing? I mean, yeah. Uh, we were confident in how we were playing. uh first period, you know, sort of a road trip. We’re in the box three times. Um those are the stuff you got to battle through, you know, adversity. So, I felt like killing off three penalties on the road for your first period, that’s that’s a good period. So, we use that as momentum, you know, or second period, we uh we were in their zone more, had a couple good looks on the power play, and then uh in the third and overtime, we capitalized on our chances. What did Austin look like to you? He said he felt got better as it went along. What was it like to see him out there? What did you notice? Yeah, it’s obviously nice to have your captain back. I mean, such a great player and leader. So, he definitely gave us that boost here tonight and he had so many chances as well. So, it’s only a matter of time before he pops off. What stood out about how the team came back to win this game? Yeah, you know, just uh battled. I mean, Joe played uh played unbelievable tonight. So, uh gave us opportunity to battle back and get a win. What has stood out about how he’s conducted things since coming back from from his absence? He’s been, you know, brick wall. He’s been unbelievable. What do you think of AC to get the quick strike back after you guys went down? Yeah. I mean, shooting it from from that side of the ice, lefty was a hard shot. He did a put it right perfectly. I mean, it was incredible. Was just saying he’s got ice in his veins. Like, you’re you’re pretty calm, cool guy. What stands out about East’s kind of personality, how he approaches everything? Yeah, he’s very very chill, but you know, always uh focused on getting better. I mean in practice you see it and know very determined and uh that’s what I love to see. Might not have been the prettiest start for either side to this one but I just wonder what you saw in terms of the momentum and the way you guys kind of found it either through resiliency or just sticking with it. Just where do you notice the biggest improvement since this one? I mean I think you know it was a tough start for us. I mean we’re on the PK three PKs uh there in the first period and I mean just being resilient there. The PK getting the three kills was uh was huge. What did you see on the OT goal? Yeah, just uh first try to get to Matt and got the puck back and then I felt like he just saw Cormia that he slid over quite a bit. So, I mean, didn’t really shoot it that hard and winning. I don’t know if you know this, but 15th overtime goal, most ever in leaves franchise history. Austin’s at 14, so we’ll see what happens. But what’s what’s that sound like to you? Yeah, you know, um we uh both get the opportunity to play out there when it’s uh when it’s OT. I mean, he could also score today. Uh, if I mean, if I didn’t shoot that, maybe uh would have slid over to him, he would have a, you know, record. But, I mean, we just want to win games and whoever whoever gets it at the end of their career. I mean, good for them. Austin, what stood out about how the team found a way to get big. Yeah, just tried to just grind it out. I mean, like I said this morning, just kind of play a boring uh road hockey game and just try to, you know, keep them to the outside with the amount of speed and skill that they have and just continue to work our way through the game. And uh Joe had some big saves for us and obviously a big goal there by Cowboy to tie it up and uh winning it in OT. So that’s a it’s a great uh two points for us and just want to continue to build off uh off of that and just build confidence going into this next one. What impressed you the most about the way Joseph played tonight? Uh just uh his poise. I mean, I think he’s always extremely poised and confident in the net no matter what’s going on or what happens. Um you know, he’s just uh he’s very focused and I think you can see that just in his demeanor and the way he uh asserts himself out there. So um he had some great saves tonight. Uh it’s a good team, a lot of skill, high-end skill and speed and I thought he he played really well. E talked about a go some more of the chances that he was getting. How much of a lifted you guys to get that quick strike from him after the one Yeah, that’s huge. Um I I think you know, like you said, he’s been getting lots of chances and um you know, it’s amazing what that does for your confidence going forward. So, uh it’s going to be great to see him uh here down the stretch here of these next couple games. And uh I thought that uh you know, he’s just been all over. He moves his feet. He’s a very smart player and he gets himself into good spots and and uses his skill to create opportunities whether it’s for him or his linemates. So, um you know, he’s just going to continue to get better and better. How did you feel? There you go. I felt good. Uh felt good. You know, just uh tried to get my legs under me kind of the first half of the game, but I just thought as the game went on, felt more and more comfortable and um I thought our line had some good shifts uh in the ozone and created some good opportunities. So, um just built from there and just try to get better and better each night. Your look on the power play, what did you feel 54 look? What’s it going to take for that to be successful moving forward? Yeah, I mean I just think uh being on the right page all five guys and I think when you have five fours uh I think the ears perk up a little bit more for the uh the killers. So just being there and supporting each other um you know when there’s breakdowns and they’re coming back the other way. So um you know I think uh the more repetitions we get the more comfortable uh we’ll feel and just try to work our way through that process and just keep creating those chances. Um you know we had a few good looks tonight but uh I think it could definitely run a little bit smoother. So, I think the more repetitions we get, uh, the better we’ll be. What did it mean to to win tonight, perform like that? Yeah. Yeah, it was huge, huge win for us and, um, just pumped to get it done. What do you like the most about your performance? Uh, I mean, just sticking with it. You know, it’s a tight game like that and, um, thought I don’t think you’ll leave without um, uh, but yeah, no, it was great. I think, you know, we we stuck to our game plan, grinded one out on the road, and um yeah, it was great to get the two points there. What can a win like this do for you moving forward? Yeah, I mean, it’s it’s good uh you know, whether we win or lose, I I try to keep same mindset. I you know, I preach that a lot and um it’s a good little you know, confidence boost to to continue going forward, but um you know, I tried to have the same mindset after last game and this game, right? And um take what I need and move forward. In the big picture, how have you kind of felt since you come back? just happy to be part of the team. What was it like to see Austin back being part of the team? Yeah, I mean Austin, um Azie, Na, all all three of those guys was was great to have around and um lots of energy from from those three. And um anytime we have, you know, closer to our full lineup, you know, the better. What did you most groups? Well, a good PK in the first period. I think you know you know the the period was even but we g we got three penalties and guys did a good job killing the penalties and the goalie was solid. Second period I thought we were pretty good. I thought it was a low event period, but we played properly. And you know, in the third, like it’s just a little bit uh not loose, but just some some situations where, you know, puck play or just some situational play that we we gave him some opportunities, but we found a way to win the game, which is the most important thing. goalie was really good and I thought the three guys that came in tonight were injured were pretty good pretty good for us tonight. What stood out to you the most about Joseph’s performance? Um I thought his battle was really good in net. I thought he had you know he fought and um fought through traffic and was seeing it really well tonight. What have you seen from him just in general since he’s come back? Yeah, I mean he looks sharp. You know what I mean? like he looks like he’s on his toes and he’s uh seeing the play really well and um playing a lot of pucks, you know, playing a lot of pucks. So, he’s definitely pretty sharp right now and on his toes like, you know, that’s what I see right now, seeing the puck and making some really good saves. You mentioned the news. You guys look good. What did you see from the Matthews line and what made you want me with them? Yeah, because I just, you know, that like just to get Will Max out of the middle and put him on the wing and um uh you know, they got familiarity and it’s just the way I kind of evened the lines out tonight with some different looks and had a checking line together and uh that’s kind of my thought process there. But, you know, they had some I thought Matty had a good game. I thought he was competitive and uh worked extremely hard, won a lot of battles. Um, you know, I thought he was good. Get the quick strike. Yeah. Is can that build character in terms of Well, it can for sure. Like I thought that, you know, they went out there and did a good job. That line did a good job and got us a goal back cowing and um, you know, we ended up winning an OT. But hopefully we can get some swagger and some confidence here uh going into the next game and um go from there. East talked about just wanting to be able to bury one. Are you starting to see, you know, even more trust that he’s earning? Does it feel that way? Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think he’s playing pretty good hockey. You know, is there mistakes? Definitely. He’s a young kid and there’s going to be mistakes, but he’s he learns from them in my opinion and he listens and he wants to get better and um you know he’s he’s got you know he’s he’s just he’s got ice water in his veins like he he doesn’t feel the pressure. He just plays and he knows what is he knows his capabilities and what he can do. You deployed a 54 power play for that uh for this with a different kind of look of the thinking. Yeah, just, you know, there was a certain point before Matthews got hurt where, you know, we rolled him up top and um, you know, I just like the the quickness that he can play up there and the shot definitely, you know, that shot going going to the net with numbers there. And, um, he distributes the puck well, too. He moves it quick. Um, so that was a thought process similar to last year, you know, similar to last year. What did you think of it tonight? Like was some good stuff, but you know, we gave up that rush, you know, like we got to be better there, you know, we can’t dive in. We got to get back and help out, you know. Uh, we can’t do that. That’s just we can’t make that play. But I thought there’s some I thought that there were some good things. I think that there was opportunities um in the second period on the power play we had that we rolled into the middle there and I don’t you know we just we’re not like looking to shoot right away you know we’re not looking to off these plays attack and shoot we’re kind of looking for a better play at times and we don’t need

Head Coach and Players speak with the media following the Leafs’ 2-1 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

0:00 Easton Cowan
2:30 William Nylander
4:27 Auston Matthews
6:55 Joseph Woll
8:07 Craig Berube

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