Craig Berube | Practice | November 25, 2025

Craig Berube | Practice | November 25, 2025

Nice Matthews and Rupa all practice today. Look good. They did finish practice, but still got to be see about tomorrow. So that’s where they’re at. But it was good that they’re out there and finished practice. Went through all the drills and uh Yeah. So that’s where they’re at. So that means maybe tomorrow. Yeah. We got to see where they’re at. Sure. At least the maybe. Yeah. Oh yeah. But just got to see where they’re at. See, see, you know, I haven’t talked to trainer. I haven’t talked to those guys yet after practice. So, that’s something I got to do. Why did you decide to have them practice together just as a group? Everybody? No, just a few guys as a line, I guess, instead of maybe Well, just because they’re out. They’re out right now, right? So, I put them on a line together. Okay. And I just wanted to see what it looked like. Okay. Always good. You hear me after practicing? Glass half full. Yeah. Glass half empty. That’s where you got to look at things. class is half full. We got an opportunity to go here tomorrow and get two points and that’s got to be our focus and then we’ll go from there to the next game. Do you what’s your sense of the group? Do you Well, I thought it was good. It was positive. We had a real good meeting this morning and um going over some stuff and what we got to be better at and uh where we will be better at and um I thought the vibe was good and the guys were good and good practice. It’s good hard practice. Has it been too long since your last meeting with Columbus? is the biggest challenge the Blue Jackets bring? Well, I mean they if you look at they got some they got some good offense over there obviously and uh Fan Tilly has his way with us. It seems like every game we play him. He’s a he’s a hell of a player, but they got some high-end young young players that are good players and uh you know I thought we played a pretty good solid hockey game against them here the last time even in Columbus other than we the goals we gave them that was self-inflicted. I thought we had some real good uh things going on against them. So, uh but they’re a challenge obviously on the back end with Rowensky and um they got their goalies playing well right now too. So, it’s going to be a tough game like all of them. Pardon me. You’ve got some good leaders and veterans in this room, but a couple of them mentioned what a common presence Joe Wall has been. Have you noticed that and how beneicial? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure. Um he’s been solid and um he’s been very good for our team getting him back in, you know, and then just his battle level like he was so pissed off at me for pulling him the other night, but I like that. And um yeah, you know, he wanted to be in there and fight and that’s good. Did he understand why? Oh yeah, for sure he did. But he wants to be in there and fight. You don’t have a ton of right shot forwards, but what intrigues you? Yeah, I picked up on it. Even I figured it out. What intrigues you about Knander on the left? What sort of does that Well, Willie play Willie was on the right today because I had Cow on left, but Willie often we talk about things and it gives him a different look on the other side. Same as on the power play sometimes coming down, you know, his offside downhill just he he just likes to mix it up, you know, so I’m good with it if he wants to be on left or right or depends on who who his linemates are and what’s going on. But, you know, he can just it’s just a different look for him coming from the other side. What have you made of Oliver Larson’s team this year? Well, it’s pretty solid for us. I think he’s done a lot of good things. I mean, he’s logged a lot of ice uh compared to last year with the injuries and uh but he’s done a number of things for us. you know, he’s playing his offside again and uh you know, which we we have to ask him to do because of the the lineup and the injuries and things like that and you know, power play and just a lot of five on five minutes. But I love that game the other night in Montreal in the third period, how physical was and hard he played. Chief, you’re going to take each game as it comes and focus on the one and I think we get that. But is there a a message about the the approach to this entire trip that you look at in terms of Yeah, for sure. We discussed that and I know the team discussed it too and you know it it is one game at a time because you always need to just focus on uh the game in hand and what you’re doing but this trip could put us in a real good spot in my opinion from where we’re at right now. So that’s the importance and it’s good that we’re getting on the road and um being together as a group and um you know it’s it’s always a different feel when you’re all together in hotel rooms and at the rink and hanging out together all the time and you know not dealing with family and and I know you still got to deal with them but from afar. So that’s always that’s always a good thing. I always found getting on the road and when you’re in tough times um helps the team. You’ve seen McCabe for a couple of years, coached him now a couple years. Just wondered what’s in his DNA do you think that allows him to come back from No, he’s definitely has toughness. That’s for sure. I mean, we all see that with him and um you know, it’s tough when you get a puck in the face like that and uh but fortunately he’s good and he’s fine and I see him out there. I thought he’d have a bubble on, but uh no bubble or anything. So, he’s got the toughness and uh yeah, it’s he’s we’re very fortunate to have him. Simone wasn’t thrilled with where he’s at right now. Too passive, he said. But what’s your sense of that pair with Jacob, what do you want to see from them? Yeah. No, there there are right now we use him as a shutdown pair for a lot of the game. And um one Benny’s got to be physical and he’s got to be aggressive. That’s that’s where he disrupts the other team, right? Um it’s just being a little bit more on his toes for me and um just being strong and hard with the puck. You know, he doesn’t have to make great plays. He’s just got to get he’s got to make the easy play and make the right play. That’s what I see.

Head Coach Craig Berube addresses the media following Tuesday’s practice.

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