Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Post Game vs. New Jersey Devils | October 21, 2025

your take on what happened tonight? You know, we’re still just a little too sloppy. You know, first uh first period um you know, did some good things. Um you know, second period, I think we’re a little sluggish to start, but you know, we we started to respond and carry play, but it’s just um you know, have to be smarter with the puck and the way we’re managing the game. And a team like that with the way they can skate and how quick they are in transition obviously really hurt us. and then and then chasing it from there. Do you have a theory as to why this second period has given you guys trouble this season? I just don’t think we’re managing the game um the way uh the way that we need to and um just the way we need to invest shift after shift. Um wearing opponents down. Um, you know, we talk about uh checking and grinding and uh the things that uh um you know, we want to make part of our identity and that we do well u build on some of those things that uh you know we brought into our game last year. So, we haven’t gone through that consistently. Why do you think oddman rushes have been uh coming against you guys as frequently as they have been? Uh I think just the way we have to manage the game and just recognize the awareness uh the time and place when the ability is to to make a play or you know we’re putting we’re setting ourselves up for the rest of our shift or the next shift and uh how aggressive we are to keep pucks alive and things like that. So um you know I think the the the intentions are there but the the execution we have to be better. you know, starts with myself and, you know, we all have to have to uh understand just the importance of that situation and the areas our game we have to be more consistent with. Scary moment there with Chris going down. I just wonder uh how tough that was to see. Yeah, hopefully he’s all right. Uh you know, he’s he’s a huge part of our back end. He does so many things well that uh don’t always get a lot of attention and his hockey IQ, his awareness, his defending, um even his puck play, his reads are exceptional. So hopefully he’s okay and it’s not too serious. Anthony, what’s your take on what happened tonight? Um yeah, I thought it was a it was a really good effort by the boys tonight. Um you know, they’re uh they’re a skilled team. Um you know, and for me personally that uh you know, that fourth goal is when you want back. You know, you want to be able to go into the third period, give the guys, uh you know, a fighting chance and and be able to uh you know, uh make keep it a onegoal game. And uh at that point, anything can happen. So you know, I love the effort tonight. Guys were guys were battling. you know, you look at the back check, um, you know, the block shots, getting in lanes, uh, you know, I thought we did a lot of good things tonight. What did you see on that one? I just wound up, took a shot, and, uh, you know, I kind of just, uh, just misread, you know, kind of went off the bottom of my blocker, but, you know, that’s when you got to stop and, you know, that’s, uh, you know what I said the other day, it’s, you know, it doesn’t include myself as well. So, you know, I’ll wear this one on the chin, but tomorrow’s a new day and, uh, you know, we got a big two uh, two division games coming up here. John was just talking about it being a bit sloppy. Where do you see uh you know the areas as a group that can be cleaned up? Uh yeah, I mean um you know I think uh just just getting pucks in uh you know and and going to work uh you know a couple uh couple unlucky bounces tonight. You know, pucks going off guy skates and and kind of going right to them. But uh you know that’s that’s the way the game is. So uh you know like I said you know I think the effort was there tonight. I think uh you know we did a really good job of uh you know defending and uh you know kind of keeping them in the outside and uh you know when we did get in their zone we had uh some really good shifts. uh you know, power play was was moving the puck around. So, uh you know, I think it’s always uh good to build on things and like I said, we got two big division games this weekend against against a good team. So, um you know, I think tomorrow we’re going to go work hard in practice and and look forward to that. It seemed like New Jersey had oddman rush after oddman rush. As a goalie, how difficult is it to play against a team that’s able to do that? Uh yeah, I mean, you know, you look at uh you know, them coming down and uh you know, as a goalie, it’s you know, you kind of face them in practice a little bit. So, uh you know, it’s always it’s always your time to shine. you know, it’s uh you know, what you get paid for, you get paid to make those big saves. And uh you know, tonight uh you know, I had a couple, but uh you know, like I said, there’s one I want back, and that’s uh that huge slap shot. So, uh you know, like I said, uh it’s part of the game. The you know, a couple bad bounces there, and uh you know, you just can’t come up with a big save. What interference challenge did you feel like you were interfered with? Uh I mean, I kind of I was at the top of my crease and and felt a little bit uh you know, uh I didn’t really um you know, kind of see any uh sticks or anything. I was kind of fighting for the puck. So on the uh you know I kind of didn’t know who hit me or who bumped me but um you know I I I was uh you know unaware of uh you know they were going to do it. How about Chris Tannon tonight? Uh what did you see on the play and and what kind of you know a loss losing Chris Tannon for two periods? Uh yeah I mean I didn’t even see kind of what happened. I think uh you know they made a play and I don’t know if I covered it or got deflected and went out of play and I looked over uh and he was down so I can’t really comment on something I didn’t see. But what’s it like to you know miss a guy like that? Uh yeah, he’s obviously uh you know, a heart and heart and soul guy. Uh me eating potatoes. He’s someone that uh you know, we love and someone who who goes to battle for us day in and day out. You know, you look at the uh the block shots and and everything that he does on the defensive side, jumping up in the rush, makes a good first pass. So, uh you know, hopefully it’s uh something that he can come back from pretty quick. What did what’s your take on tonight’s game? Yeah, I thought we I mean obviously had a one- nothing league uh lead after the first and yeah did some good things but also some things that we probably would like to have back and obviously clean up. Um so yeah too many too many turnovers and uh yeah threeon twos and even threeon ones um that can happen. John called it kind of poor execution. Why do you think that is? Why why are you guys not quite connected yet? Uh I don’t know. Uh I mean it’s not like everybody’s trying to make plays out there and uh sometimes you don’t see it and it happens quick out there. Uh but at the same time I think we should be able to move our legs and kind of find that lane and and I mean if you feel that way you should probably just keep it a little bit more simple. Uh, and I mean, you have to do it over and over again. I think we’re doing for a couple shifts and then we kind of get away from it. Um, so I think that’s that’s my take on it. What uh what was the challenge like without Chris for the final two periods? No, I mean obviously he means a lot for this team and this organization, especially the way he plays and put his body on the line every single shift. So, um, so obviously I hope it’s tough when you you go down one one D. How close are you guys to getting to your identity, playing the way you really want to play? I don’t think we’re far off. It’s just a a matter of doing it every every shift and not taking any shifts off. I know it kind of sounds uh weird, but and that’s what it comes down to. I just do it over and over again. And and I think we haven’t been able to do that so far. But, uh, yeah, like I said, I think it’s just simplify, uh, the game a little bit and and put put it, uh, the work boots on and then go to work. That’s that’s what it comes down to. You’re a veteran in the league. Uh, seven games in, still relatively early. What’s what should be the sense of urgency right now for the team? No, I think it should always be that case. Uh, game one, we should always play the same way and and that’s kind of why we’re standing here and talking about it. Uh, should always be be playing the same way. It doesn’t matter if it’s game one or game 53. Um, and that’s that’s the way we want to play and and we haven’t got up to that standard yet. What’s the biggest challenge defending a guy like Jack use? No, obviously a skilled guy and uh seems to make the the right place out there. Um, so yeah, I mean it’s always fun challenge to play against him, but he had a good game. Austin, what’s the maybe biggest takeaway for your group tonight? I mean, I think it’s kind of a little bit of the same over the last couple games, just um sloppy at times and then um just this kind of roller coaster of consistency. I think that’s the biggest uh the biggest piece with we heard John say the same word in sloppy. I just wonder is that a mental thing or is that an X’s and O’s thing or details? Where do you come up with that? Uh I mean I think it’s a little bit of everything. I think it’s uh an attitude and a commitment from us to take care of the puck uh in certain situations in certain points of the game. Um you know the second period’s been a bit of a you know a bit of a struggle for us lately and um it’s an important period. It’s uh you know it can be a tough period um you know with the long change and um not being able to sustain pressure in their zone and being and defending a lot. So, um I think all a lot of it just comes down to execution. Um you know, being mentally focused out there and uh executing on the little things. Um you know, cuz we’ve shown flashes of it, but um you know, it’s got to be throughout the full 60 minutes. Um there’s going to be momentum swings, but um you know, if you consistently play the right way, line after line throughout the whole game, you know, you’re going to have much better results. Why do you think the uh the second periods have been a problem for you this year? because you’re so good at it the last few years anyway. Uh I mean I think it’s um you know just taking care of the puck. I think just the turnovers and um you know the simple plays are there and I think we maybe try to overextend or try to do too much at times and I think that’s where we just get ourselves in trouble. Like I said I mean we’ve shown flashes um you know for the last five six minutes of the second period was really really good. Um but you know at that point we’ve you know made a couple mistakes. the pucks in the back of our net and then you’re kind of chasing the game. So, you know, you’d like to not get to that point to begin with. How tough is that to lose Chris as well? Yeah, it’s tough. I don’t know what the extent is or or uh you know what’s what, but it’s obviously uh huge piece of our team, huge piece of our our back end and our leadership core. So, um obviously hope that uh it’s nothing too serious. On a slight on a slightly brighter note, going back 24 hours, how did it feel to see Vlatty walk in wearing a Matthews jersey? Yeah, it was great. It was awesome. Awesome to see them pull out that win, too. Obviously, uh, you know, huge moment for the city. How much is the the change of line mates um affected the chemistry, do you think? Um, I don’t know if it’s affect the chemistry. I mean, I think no matter who you’re out there with, you’ve played with them at at some point in time. I think um, you know, overall like I think it’s just supporting each other a little bit better throughout, you know, all three zones and offensive zone especially. Um, I mean, most teams kind of all play the same. They want to try to reduce it to, um, limit your space, limit you to, you know, like a quadrant of the ice and and have five guys kind of in that area. So, just being able to sustain control and, um, support each other in those little areas to get the puck out and spread them out a little bit. Uh, I think it’s been, um, you know, a bit of a struggle at times throughout games. Jack is off to a great start this season. What did you see from him tonight? Yeah, he was, uh, really dangerous tonight. and his, you know, ability to, you know, make plays in open ice, his speed, uh, anticipating plays. Um, and obviously he had a he had a big night tonight. What made it hard, Craig, tonight to to get traction for your group, sustain it? Well, second period, we put ourselves in a hole. Obviously, that’s been a concern this year. Um, we don’t manage the game in the second period. Why’ you challenge for goalie interference? because we thought it was he’s in the blue paint or and our goalie could, you know, he he couldn’t get position. So, but yeah, that’s why. So, were you surprised on? Yeah, I mean it’s always tricky. Can always 50/50 a lot of times. Um, you know, it is what it is. Do you have a theory as to why so many of the interruptions were given up? Well, there’s reads for sure. you know, our deer just standing in there, jumping in there, not reading what’s coming at them. We’re late sometimes, you know, with uh our reloads. And one of the biggest things is turnovers, but we got to be smarter. You know, our D got to be smarter. They got to read the play. They they can’t be going all out. Um and then, you know, that’s a quick team. They’re a great transition team. We talked about, you know, they’re a good rush team. they’re going to, you know, they blow out of the zone. And first period was fine. Second period we we didn’t follow it. We didn’t we um shot ourselves in the foot. How’s Chris Dan? Upper body right now. Time or um uh possibly possible. What’s made it hard? You spent a lot of time in your own zone today. I know that’s not designed. What do you do to break that habit? Yeah. No, that’s a good team over there with a lot of speed and I and they’re dynamic in the offensive zone. They get it moving around. I mean, the biggest thing is like we have opportunities. Um, you know, whether they put the puck in deep or whatever, you got to get in there and you got to kill that play right away with numbers. We’re slow to doing it. So then we get them, they get moving around in our zone and, you know, once Hughes and these guys get moving around, they’re dynamic and it’s it’s hard to stop them. We didn’t, you know, they shoot a puck, we didn’t recover it. They beat us quicker. They were quicker. What What’s making it tough, do you think, for the Matthews line to to get it kind of rolling? Um, yeah, it’s a good question. I mean, I think early on in the season, I thought, you know, they were getting their opportunities and and looking pretty good. Now, it’s like, you know, it’s obviously not good enough. Um, I don’t feel like they have any sustained pressure in the offensive zone at all. It’s one and done or out or, you know, they don’t they don’t have any sustained pressure in the offensive zone. I’m sorry. You said at the start of the year that might be a long process of experimentation. Well, it could be, but I’m getting tired of it to be honest with you. You know, you mentioned the Devils are quicker. How concerned are you that speed might be an issue? I don’t think speed’s an issue on our team. I think um you know we when we play the right way and we play direct, we look fast. But when we want to not play that way, we look slow. I think that’s really what it boils down to. Yeah. Is there teams that have more speed in our team? Yeah, there is. But at the same time, that’s why we talk about playing predictable and direct so you can look fast. And uh right now we’re not consistently doing that enough. I mean, there’s a lot of guys that played good hockey game tonight. I thought we, you know, they did a lot of good things, but we don’t have enough of them. And if we don’t have everybody going and on the same page and doing the right things, that’s what we’re going to look like tonight. When you don’t get a lot of power play chances, do you find you’re pressing on the chances that you do? No, I don’t believe that that’s the case. I thought that second PP tonight they they had some looks and they they were doing the right things. You know, I don’t feel that they’re pressing on the power play. Um if anything on the power play, I like what I saw in the second one, urgency and getting pucks to the net and recovering them and and getting the penalty killed tired. That’s that’s what you got to do. And um so I don’t feel they’re pressing on the power play at all.

Head Coach and players speak with the media following the Leafs’ 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

00:00 – John Tavares
02:04 – Anthony Stolarz
05:07 – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
07:48 – Auston Matthews
11:08 – Craig Berube

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38 comments

  1. Typical hockey jargon…..not much any insight or solution in those comments.

    Stolarz was not the reason they lost. He was not great but played ok game.

  2. Why did they not dare ask Austin : ' Why you yrself played sloppy?' , when he said that The team played sloppy. He was one of the sloppiest.

    Steve Dangle can confirm that statement on his Blog.

  5. Matthews is no captain. Zero emotion. Not physical. Never talking on the bench. Terrible personality for an NHL captain. He inspires nobody.

  7. Most of the team has lost interest in playing hockey. If they don’t pull.their heads out of their asses I can see them kissing the season away. This has nothing to do with the traitor Marner that knew he was walking 1-2 years early and screwed the whole organization, it has to do with the whole team doing what they say they need to do and be.

  12. 2nd period issues;
    What are they consuming between periods?

    Despite sponsorships and what not, you must know that those high sugar sports drinks are pretty toxic and laced with nasty petrochemicals.

    Opt for greens or other natural powder supplements with superfoods and fermented preferably, for real energy that will make them play at their best –
    not the opposite.

    Also coconut and mineral water, no tap water that shit is disgusting – drink at least filtered RO water.
    –
    Flow water is the best because its artisan well "live" water.

    This one factor – consumption,
    could change the trajectory of this team on God.

  15. 14:14 Everyday or every other day guys should be looking to max out their speed, agility, and endurance. Hear me out…

    Like doing suicide skates for fun, running / sprinting up and down hill, etc.

    Hence why losing teams that have to endure such prolonged efforts as a "punishment" end up on the other side with a W.

    However as professional athletes the higher intensity should equal more joy, knowing that is what it takes to not plateau and continue living life in a prime state.

    Strength is linked to those (speed, agility, endurance) and also diet plays a significant part in mass, in physics power = a*mass + b*acceleration.

    Skating with extra weight, using weights on sticks, stuff like that will make them feel light as a feather and increase their top speeds.

    That is why the fastest guys are the fastest guys they go that extra step and beyond.

    Also diet is a huge factor as well, if guys are feeling sluggish or unmotivated it most definitely has to do with what they are the night before, and stuff like that.

    a* mass has to do with diet and weighted exercise, lifting weights, eating healthy sources of protein ( less bad cholesterol and trans fats the better ).

    b* acceleration combines speed and agility, its explosiveness, plus endurance allows us to be more explosive for sustained periods of time – which is directly linked to consumption.

    For example if i eat lasagna then go for a jog my stomach might hurt and cramp up, but if i drink a superfood smoothie & have some yogurt to go with it all of a sudden I can jog way longer and it be easier and therefore more fun.

    4 hrs before high calorie meal
    2 hr before smoothie, trail mix maybe fruit, stuff you would put in a smoothie

    Right before game water, coconut water, with fermented superfood powder mixed in, maybe some lemon, or apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, stuff like that will help activate all the prior nourishment and prevent lethargy or sluggishness.

  16. 14:31 That's why guys need to outwork them in the gym,
    and come up with more creative solutions like calisthenics, and next level meal prepping, to truly surge past their competition, instead of being frail in comparison.

    All these metanarratives being created are becoming the Leafs identity, slow, weak, etc. It's up to them to prove the critics wrong.

    That starts with consumption leads into practice, and will be the winning ( or losing ) formula in games.

    1 ounce of action is worth a pound of words.

  17. Hope all you followers band jumpers and media have learned to leave players alone by letting them live in & out of hockey playing for the maple leafs. You all are a joke for what you did to marner. This is the outcome of your nonsense.

  18. Not rocket science…Sit Robertson, jarny and maccelli. Call up Pezzetta and put in Blais and Cowan. You need a checking line as ur 4th line. Not 2 small playing guys like jarny and robo. For now the checking line should be Pezz, Lorentz and Blais. And put Cowan back on line 1 and put domi on the 3rd line and mcman on the 2nd

  25. To all the Marner haters that drove him out of the city, Enjoy a team that will fight to even make the playoffs. The best goal scorer losing one of the best setup men in the game, what did people think would happen.

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