Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Post Game vs Montreal Canadiens | December 06, 2025

Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Post Game vs Montreal Canadiens | December 06, 2025

Oliver, what do you take away from a game like that? Obviously, kind of disappointed with the outcome, but what did you see tonight? Uh, yeah, I thought we were uh playing all right in the first. Um, our second wasn’t good enough. Uh, and then we bounced back uh a little bit in the third, I felt like uh but still uh I thought Dennis kept us in that game uh for the most part. Uh he gave us a chance to to get points out of it. So, um, he played unbelievable. Can you speak to maybe his poise because he looked very confident, not just with the savings, but with the Hawks. Yeah. No, I I think I said it, uh, after the other the other game and and he’s been he’s been really good. Uh, last year he was really good uh when he got the chance to to come in and play. Um, and this this year he seems like uh he took that to the next level and and uh just with the confidence and and uh poise like you said. I I really like uh how he handles himself uh often on ice. You mentioned the second period. Was it something they were doing or something you just couldn’t kind of manufacture? Uh yeah, both. Um I think um we were struggling getting the puck out at at some times and and they kind of pinned us in there uh for a couple long shifts and um felt like we were a little bit stubb stubborn to to chip it in and go go after them and and put it behind. Um I think uh we’ve been doing that for the last two three games, but uh tonight we were a little bit stubborn. Back on PP1, what are you seeing on the power play over the last few minutes? Uh yeah, I thought we had some good looks on the first one. Uh and then I I think we got to be better um in the third here when we have a chance to to kind of go ahead and and uh the the the game is on the line. I think we got to we got to step up. But obviously just trying to to give uh those guys uh a little bit more time and space with the puck. But uh yeah. When you see Lton’s goal go in, what does that do for your group? It’s just that raw energy. Yeah, I know. I uh I think we needed that at that that time. Uh but he’s one of those guys that brings that energy every every single day um in the room. Um you guys don’t see that and and uh obviously we see it and we’re around it every single day, but such a nice uh teammate to have in the room and and obviously uh living everything on the ice uh at the same time. So uh was a huge goal for us and and uh got a point out of it. How did it get away in the second period there for this week? I mean, battles. Um, the breakouts were not as good. Uh, it wasn’t it wasn’t as clean as in as in the first and third period to uh get the puck out. So, um, I mean, we we found ourselves short one goal and um I mean, we we battled back. So, um, could have could have went both ways tonight. Um, but obviously you got to play the full 60 minutes. What did you make of your goalender who every time he’s been out is giving you a chance? Yeah, every game, like you said, he’s been he’s been in. We have a we have a chance. He’s making big saves. Um we’re always uh we’re always in the game. Um I just wish we we found one more and find a way to to get this one for him tonight. What did you think of uh I guess what did it do for the bench and the entire team. You see lot score that goal with that energy. I mean, it’s uh he’s such an energy guy around the room. uh uh always bring a lot of joy and um he’s been hot lately so it’s it’s nice to see him get get rewarded. Um you always do those like little plays that you don’t really notice uh a lot usually and um scored a lot of three goals uh lately. So uh big part of a group. What did you see on your pass? Did you see him just kind of going like when was um I mean I just I just stopped the puck on the wall there. I looked um if I was just sitting down down the ice or I just looked for a second if there was an option there and I saw him uh wide open in the middle so I just I just gave it to him. Sometimes we see, you know, a team that comes back after being on the road and in this case a successful trip on the road. Sometimes you can kind of have a bit of a flat return home. Did it feel like that or was it completely something else? No, I wouldn’t say it was uh flat. Obviously, we would like that second period back, but we we started pretty good. Um, we had a good push in the third period. I think that game could have could have been both ways. Um, it’s just a lesson in this league. You got to play 60 minutes, but overall, I mean, um, not not a terrible game, Scott. Um, we’ve seen the second periods be a bit of a challenge in the past. You guys are just talking about it. Where where and how did you see it get away in the second? Yeah, try and uh do too much. I think uh I talked about it this morning playing against Carolina and uh Florida, they force you to play quick and simple and um these guys kind of sit back in a three and uh we weren’t able to uh get through it trying to make too many plays, not go north and put a lot of pressure on our D to go back for pucks and uh we made it hard on them. So we need to clean that up. I thought we had a pretty good first. Uh kind of even both ways and then the third trying to get a a goal to come back but uh found a way to get a point and and keep moving forward but definitely didn’t have our best stuff. How about Dennis again who’s looked really poised every time he’s been called. Yeah, he’s been great. Uh kept us in it. Huge saves. Huge saves in overtime. Solid. Uh he’s been solid from camp. Right from day one he was uh he’s been good. uh every every game I’ve seen him. So, we’re going to need that going forward here and uh it’s it’s good to see, but uh he’s a great great kid and and uh he deserves it. Maybe take us through your goal and maybe take us through your reaction. Yeah, a little fired up there. Um yeah, I’ve done it before um a couple times and just thought that was the play and uh was lucky enough to go in, but uh yeah, definitely fired up. they they uh wasn’t too happy when they scored on their power play. Um I let a seam pass go through and and uh they found the the next seam, so tried to get one back there and um but we couldn’t find a way to get the the extra. How are the energy levels going into the game? It’s a fivegame road trip that first one kind of always Yeah. Yeah, it’s always kind of like that. Um but you just find a way, you know, it’s uh that’s the way the schedule is. It’s always kind of been like that. Uh the first game, it’s not like we’re coming off the West Coast or anything. So, yeah, we we got to find a way to uh like I said, our first was pretty good. I thought we pressured their D. We made it hard on them. But, uh we got to find a way there to help our D get off the ice, not make it as hard on them, and and uh put pucks in and live to fight another day. in in some scenarios where doesn’t always have to be in one shift or uh one play where where you kind of grind teams down make their D uh kind of do what what RD did. Guys call you a glue guy. Is that like an effort by you to be that in the locker room or is that just natural? Just come natural to you? Yeah, try and be yourself. Try and be consistent every day. I think uh I played two full years in the NHL and got sent back to the minors. So, um, you try and be that consistent guy every day, no matter what. Uh, no matter what’s going on in the schedule, in the standings, anything like that. You try and be the same guy every day for your teammates and try and bring energy. And, um, that’s what I try and do on a day-to-day basis. The group might not be happy with the result, but getting to the point has to feel good. How did you feel about the way you went about your business today? Uh felt good. I thought I’d start off some shaky decisions, couple of rebounds there. Uh but overall felt felt good. I thought thought we played a great game and deserved to get a win. Your teammates were talking just about your poise. Are you feeling more and more comfortable each time you get the call? Should I answer? Your teammates were just talking about how calm you looked back there uh making saves and with the puck. Are you starting to feel a lot more confident every time you get the call? Uh 100%. I mean, the more more games I play, I mean, the better it feels. I I learn try and learn from every game and and certainly helps. shootouts. I don’t know how much experience you have with it, but uh how do you kind of read those skilled shooters? Yeah, I’m not happy about that. I thought I it was my my first at this level. I’ve had a couple couple done with the AHL there, but I mean seems to be a learning process that too. I uh did not felt like I could have done more there. Um, so that sucks a little bit to finish off that way. You just did what did you see on your save on Bolton Duke there with the G like just kind of uh in the second period there. Yeah. No, I I don’t know. I try to make make a save. I guess the the m the momentum kind of made my glove fly a little extra there the windmill, but no, it felt good. Was the challenge with their their power play like just how they blew the puck around so effectively? Yeah, I thought we we did a great job. I mean, he cracked us open there once, but I mean, other than that, it was great great work from from everyone just closing out the the seams and just grabbing sticks and everything. So, I thought we we did a great job there. Guys were talking about how being happy with the second period, but from your vantage point, what did you like about what you saw in front of you throughout the entire game? I mean, we think we We play I mean we every game comes up with some blocked shots and I think the like I said I think I had a couple rebounds today and they didn’t create anything of it cuz we were we were there right away and I think we handled the rush very well too with the back check and everything. So yeah, there’s a lot of things to like got on the board in the third period. What what have you learned and noticed about him as a teammate? Like how would you describe him as a teammate from your perspective? A lot of Yeah. Uh great great guy in the room. I mean, he makes a lot of noise, but it’s it’s good noise uh that we need. So come up with a couple of big goals here too late. Love to see it. Did you think of his goal? I made the celebration which was just as nice. I think I missed the celebration was drinking water but uh No, the goal was I could go break away slap shot like that. How do you assess? Uh good first period. Um you know I thought we came out with the right mindset. Did some good things. Second period turned pucks over. That’s basically what it boiled down to. Got put ourselves in three quarter ice. Basically Montreal owned that period because of turnovers in my opinion. Third period pretty good period. Um overall missed the net like 15 times tonight at least. I think that’s a number. Good opportunities too. We got to hit the net on those opportunities and the PP’s got to come through for us and it didn’t. But I thought our goalending was good and um you know we got a point out of it. How does the uh power play goend would have made a difference obviously? How how does that click into something tangible? Well that’s a good question. They’re not, you know, right now what I see when I watch it is, you know, they’re unsure of themselves that, you know, a little bit and we’re not there that in particular the power play in the second period, you know, moved it well. We don’t take a shot. We don’t, you know what I mean? The shots are there. We’re not taking them. Then when, you know, we do take a shot, it’s probably the wrong time. It’s just kind of it’s they’re not feeling too good about themselves out there. U obviously they’re not seeing it right now, you know. So, um got to work through it. That, you know, that’s all you can do. We got to work through it and um try to create some chemistry here. Bit of a surprise to you. It is. It is. Um, you know, I thought actually cowing on the power play made some good plays and did some good things on it and you know, he he was pretty good tonight again. Second period when you mentioned three quarter ice. Are you encouraged by the fact that when you’ve seen that before it went south, but this time? Yeah. Know, we responded in the third and played a much better period. Uh, played behind them more, got, you know, got to our game. You know, we had some opportunities there with um some plays and situations, but you know, we can’t go and miss a net on grade A opportunities. We It was just shot ourselves in the foot there and that you make of how Dennis performed. Good. Yeah, he was really good. I thought solid. You know, he did did the job for us. um you know made some real good saves and um so I was happy good to see that with him. First shootout of the season. There weren’t many last year. Like how do you kind of game plan for that? Do you always have something ready for that situation or for the goalie? No, for the for who you select and Yeah, we always look at, you know, our lineup and who who’s, you know, we haven’t been in a lot of shootouts. Even going back to last year, we won overtime a lot. So, we didn’t get a lot of shootouts, right? So, but I mean we got numbers and all that stuff you got to look into a little bit and but uh you know at that point it’s just shootouts are a crapshoot a lot of times, you know.

Head Coach and players speak with the media following the Leafs’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Canadiens on Saturday.

00:00 – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
02:36 – Nicolas Roy
04:33 – Scott Laughton
07:36 – Dennis Hildeby
11:27 – Craig Berube

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