Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Practice | December 3, 2025

Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Practice | December 3, 2025

What has a couple of wins done for the mood, the vibe around the team right now? Yeah, it’s good. Uh, brings us a lot of energy, a lot of confidence, and h we’re just going to try to use that for for the rest of the road trip here. What do you liked about the line since everything good? I think yesterday we did a great job. I thought we were creating a lot of opportunities. Um, you know, I think we had multiple breakaways and and great a chances. So, um, didn’t really find the back of the net, but I think all those chances are good and I think, uh, you know, eventually they will fall. What did you notice about Max after the healthy scratch? Did it light a fire on him or what was your sense of him after that? I think he’s been skating. He’s been working hard, making plays, um taking the body, um you know, everything that that we need from him. So, um he’s really stepped up and and been great. What’s something that maybe has surprised you about you’ve been around you’ve seen play he’s continuing to grow, but maybe is there an area or something on or off the ice that’s really surprised you? Yeah, I I guess to start with on the ice, I think his game’s matured um quite a bit. you know, um there’s a play in the third period where, you know, he got knock knocked down and got right back up and got out of the zone, you know, that’s uh shows a lot of confidence in him to to do that kind of stuff and um yeah, so I think he’s matured a lot and off the ice. I think he’s just grown grown a lot as a person. I think everyone’s, you know, starting to get to know him and um yeah, he’s getting more comfortable with the guys. So, it’s it’s a lot of fun having around. You finally have a guy younger than you on the team. taking them under your wing at all or No, that’s there’s a lot of older guys that do do that uh do that digging. So, I don’t think that’s on me yet. You mentioned the energy levels, too. This a long road trip for your group, but it seems games has gotten better as you’ve gone along here. Winning certainly helps, but Yeah. How I don’t know, surprised or pleased with the fact that maybe fatigue hasn’t been a factor. You guys can just continue to roll. Yeah. Yeah. I think the road trip’s good for us. You know, just to kind of be around each other all the time and um yeah, the energy levels have been great. Um you know, obviously it’s a tight schedule, but I think uh you know, we’re we’re doing our best and um yeah, we got one more left that we we could close this road trip out. Uh on a good note. Craig is undecided about whether to stick with five forwards on the power play going forward. If it does continue though, like what’s the key guarding against the counterattacks and not get hit on that? Yeah, I think is just playing above them, you know? I think if if you see, you know, them about to get the first touch, I think just getting back and uh being urgent in our Dzone. Um little things like that. Uh but I think I think we you know, we obviously create a lot offensively and I think we can do some good chances. But yeah, when when the puck’s not on our stick, I think we got to get back and just uh you know, play defense a little bit better. How much urgency is there to get that kind of in order of the power play moving forward here? Yeah, it’s really important. Um special teams are obviously very important in the game and um could be the difference maker. So to have that dialed in, you know, obviously our penalty kill has been really good. Um, you know, the past few games. So I think our if our power play gets there too, then uh, you know, we’re going to be a hard team to beat. Can you give an example of how Scott Lton’s impacted the culture and the energy of your room since he’s Yeah, he’s probably one of the loudest players I’ve been around, honestly. Um, when it comes to being in the locker room and around the guys, but yeah, it’s good. Um, it’s it’s it’s that kind of energy that we need and um, you know, we needed that energy, especially when when he came back in our lineup. I think it was important to have him in there and um just constantly talking and and um you know bringing the fun. So yeah, he’s he’s been an important piece for for our team. Has he grabbed the DJ role yet? I know he was a big uh controller of the music in Philly. I’m pretty sure he does do it now. Yeah, it’s it’s it’s pretty hardcore. But yeah, it’s maybe he’ll tune it down a little bit. What’s when you’re in hardcore? It’s just like a lot of rap and I don’t know. You see him head bobbing a little bit so it’s kind of funny. But um yeah, it’s good. Not enough country for Not enough country for me. No. What do you like about Colin Eileen as a wind song? I think it’s cool. I think it’s nice. Yeah, guess the guy’s gone. Who gets credit for that? I have no idea. I It must be Lah, but I’m not sure. Thanks for what sort of impact is couple wins here to get on the kind of fluid the vibe around the team. It’s been great. I mean, I think that’s kind of what you’re looking for, just kind of uh, you know, building that momentum, building that confidence, and um, you know, you don’t want to get too too ahead of yourself, but you just want to continue building as a team. And, uh, we got a great opportunity tomorrow uh, to end the road trip on the right note. Can you think of an example of how Scott Lton’s impacted the culture and the energy around your group? Uh, I mean, I can think of plenty examples. I just think he’s uh he’s an incredible teammate, an incredible person. And I think the impact he’s got both on the ice and off it are uh you know, incredibly valuable to the team. And uh just like you said, the energy that he brings, he makes everybody smile, everybody laugh, and uh he’s a guy that uh you love to have on your team out there cuz he’s a competitor as well. So um it’s been great to have him back in the lineup and just have him around cuz um you know, he’s always kind of the guy that’s just bringing up the vibes and the energy. pretty long road trip for your group, but yet it seems from the outside that you kind of gotten better as this thing’s gone along. How do you like the way the the group has handled the energy and doesn’t really seem as though fatigue on this long one has really been a factor? Yeah, I think it’s always nice to kind of get out on the road. Um I don’t think we’ve really had an opportunity to to go on a road trip like this so far this season. So, it’s just nice um you know, get away, get a get to a couple nice cities. um you know have some have some kind together some dinners and stuff like that and spend some spend some time all all of us uh all of us together so um I think that that does a lot for the group and like I said I mean you get a couple big wins and uh it’s amazing what that does for your confidence so we just want to keep that momentum rolling what has stood out about Max’s play in the two games on your line since coming back from the scratch yeah he’s been great I mean I think uh he’s been playing with a lot of energy um just kind of doing what he does he plays uh plays fast he makes plays is uh he’s tenacious on pucks. Um and uh I think he’s been playing great so far. I thought he was great last game and generated a lot of good opportunities. So uh it’s been good. Is there a carryover from the chemistry that you guys had two years ago like when you guys played on that line together? Yeah, definitely. I mean I think we uh we spent a lot of time together off the ice. So I just think that you know can translate on the ice as well. And I think uh we understand the spots and areas that we like to be in and just trying to look for each other and knowing where uh you know Ny’s going to be and just trying to uh gel all all three of us all five guys on the ice and um do what you can to create open looks for one another. You know him pretty well. Did the scratch sense like light a fire under him or what what did you make of how he handled that? I mean I think he handled it great. I think all the guys um you know they’re they all understand and um I think everybody’s a big boy and just you just got to do uh do what you can with that. Take that kind of information and uh feedback and just kind of use it to uh motivate you a little bit and I thought you know Dak’s been great since he’s been back. Um you know obviously Max and nobody wants to get scratched. Everybody wants to play. Um you know we’re we’re fortunate to have a lot of guys uh you know that can play all throughout the lineup. So sometimes uh you know mixing things up can can obviously uh help or can light a spark and I thought the guys have handled it really well. I mean everybody’s team first and uh whatever helps the team and you know when whether you’re in the lineup or not doing whatever you can to to help out undecided about whether to to stick with the 54 look on the power play moving forward if if it does go back to that. What’s kind of the key to making sure you don’t give up the the counter strikes? Yeah, I mean I thought we had guys back there and then you know we just kind of uh you know I think they out battled us in that corner and we just kind of lost coverage. But I mean I think in the end it’s just you know getting pucks through getting pucks to the net. It doesn’t need to be over complicated. I think we did a little bit maybe too much passing around the outside instead of just attacking and um you know going from there. It doesn’t have to be you know three, four, five passes before you can get a look. it can be a shot recovery, one pass, two passes, and then just continue to attack. So, I think we could just do a better job of that and and go from there. I mean, obviously the power play has been kind of hit or miss, and we needed that to be good. It’s it’s got to be an area where um you know, in tight games, especially down the stretch where, you know, special teams play such a big part in the game that, you know, it’s given us more momentum, giving us life, and um eventually helping us win hockey games. Not sure if you heard, but the Olympic ice rink is going to be four feet shorter. Did are did you hear about that? I did hear about that. How do you imagine that would impact the game? I don’t know. Um just hoping it gets ready on time to be honest. Um yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what that looks like or what that feels like. I mean, I think in the end you’re just you’re going there and you’re representing your country and it’s uh been something a lot of us have been, you know, yearning for for a long time to to be able to have the opportunity to play in the Olympics. And um you know in the end it can be a 100 by 100 foot sheet like you just want to go out there and play and and have that opportunity. So uh hopefully they can kind of resolve everything and get everything figured out. But um in the end you just got to go out there and play I guess. You want to get out of today? Yeah, just get in. We stayed over so um we had the ice available. We can skate today and not tomorrow. That’s touch the ice a little bit. one structure drill, some shooting and that’s it. How do you like just the way the energy levels of a long trip and obviously you get results, but how have you sort of gain Yeah, energyy’s been really good. I think the guys being together on the road has really been good for us. Um, you know, just them being together, dinners, things like that, being around each other and uh, yeah, it’s been really good. Like the the bench has been good, the room um, energyy’s been good. And even this morning in practice after a game, you know that I I like the energy out there today. Can you think of an example um for Scott Law on how he’s impacted the culture or the energy of this group? Brings spirit to your team. Um you know, team spirit’s really important. And I believe, you know, I don’t believe it, I know it that he he brings that team spirit every game. He’s uh very great. He’s a great teammate, likable guy. um you know, always chatting and talking and uh doing things like that. So, he brings a lot to the to the team outside of the ice, you know, and uh I think it’s important. Locker room guys are very important in this game. Um and then he impacts the ice with his work ethic and um second and third effort out there as a player. Can you think of a comparable in in terms of person? Um I had Patty Maroon. you know, it’s a different player, but Patty Maroon was one of those guys we had in St. Louis. Like he um you know, he’s one of those guys that bring a lot of team spirit, brings a lot of energy to the room and on the bench and uh you know, he’s all about the team. What have you learned about Nick? Well, I always thought Nick was a good player. I mean, watching him in Vegas for a number of years, um you know, he’s strong on pucks. Like, you know, that’s the thing when I watch Nick, he’s he hangs on the pucks and uh very good at being in the spot in the center position to take pucks and then transporting up the ice. You know, he’s just strong on it and, you know, he’s he thinks the game pretty well too out there. Like, you know, he’s got a good head on his shoulders. But for me, it’s all about him hanging on the pucks and u creates a lot of things that way. him and Joshua are together from the getgo and it seems to be paying off. It is. I think they’re forming an identity, those three guys right now. I mean, they’re all on the same page. You got some good speed out there with Bobby getting on pucks and and Dak’s really starting to skate now, too. So, that’s a difference in his game for me is his skating. You mentioned you ran out of patience with the power play last night, but I’m just wondering how much more runway you feel you can give it moving forward here or it’s best to move away from experiment by forwards. Yeah, I mean I I still undecided in that department. I mean, I’m still thinking about it and we didn’t work on it today. I didn’t think it was a good day to work on it today, but um we definitely got to figure it out and the players got to figure it out. Why was it a good day to work on it? I think like you know after a game like you know it just I don’t think their heads were going to be into it. I don’t you know what I mean? I just I didn’t want to tax the penalty kill either. You know, we played last night. You know, I didn’t feel it was a a day to work on it. That’s all. Coach’s trust is pretty big. Uh as Eastston continues to try and earn years. What do you notice about the way he’s kind of earning a little bit more in your books? Making plays under pressure. Uh making smart plays under pressure for the most part. I mean, there’s still things that we work on daily with him with video and showing him things and uh but he’s he’s a good listener and he wants to learn. He wants to get better and that’s why he’s improving in my opinion. You know, he makes he’s made a lot of good plays. He made a lot of good plays last night that go unnoticed in my opinion. But, um and you know, I just love his um his engine. He just goes, you know, he skates hard and he works and competes. Um, so it’s just keep working with them. Young guys, it takes a little bit of time to get it down and but he’s getting it down pretty quickly in my opinion. What do you think is missing when you that first? I don’t know if because we changed the D if they’re not the issue like they’re not it’s all everybody on the ice that has to be accountable to it. Um, it’s not just one guy. We’re just trying to find some something that works, you know. Um I think more than anything that’s why is it last year we went to five forwards and it worked and it, you know, pretty much worked most of the season. So we just thought that get Matthews up top, getting the puck in his hands a little bit more, but like I said, we just got to keep working at it and find some chemistry somewhere. William had the maintenance day last week and the illness. Where do you think William Elander, you know, had the maintenance day, the illness last week, there was a season low ice time for him last night? Like where where do you feel like he’s at physically? Oh, he’s he’s fine physically. What did you see from him last night? Like he his line I mean I don’t his ice time was his ice time last night. I don’t wasn’t like he didn’t get out there. He was out there with his line every shift. So I don’t know. ice times. They they don’t mark him properly up there half the time anyhow. So, I don’t want to go off of it. Okay. And Willie, I thought Willie worked last night. A lot lot didn’t happen with that line offensively, but this is what I tell you when you play Florida. You’re going to have it’s going to be that way sometimes. And what I liked about their line is they didn’t force things. You know, they didn’t force things. They just kept it and kept working and and and doing the job. So, um you know, that’s going to happen at times. Do you expect to use Dennis in one of the next two? Um, possible. Possibly. Yeah. I don’t know yet. What’s your sense of uh how Mach Machelli’s hang handling being on the outside right now? Well, I think he’s obviously wants to play. We all know that. Every player wants to play, but he’s handled it positively. I mean, he knows that he’s got to be better and um you know, put him in the Washington game. Wasn’t a lot there. He I thought he struggled in that game and um we won the last couple. So, I don’t know if I’ll you know, I’m not going to change the lineup. You know, we’ll see.

Players and coach address the media following Wednesday’s practice.

0:00 Matthew Knies
3:45 Auston Matthews
8:45 Craig Berube

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