Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Pre Game @ Nashville Predators | December 20, 2025

Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Pre Game @ Nashville Predators | December 20, 2025

The coach says that the other team has more passion than you guys like you did after the Washington game. How does that sit in the room? How does that sit with you? >> Yeah, not great. Um, you know, we’re not in a situation to have nights like that and I’m looking forward to uh getting an opportunity to bounce back tonight. >> How do you turn the page? >> Wake up and it’s a new day. Pretty easy. >> How would you describe the move of the team right now? excited, you know, excited for another chance and um you know, get in the win column and uh you know, we got two more games on this road trip to uh you know, come away with two and one. >> What stands out about the Predators and some of the offensive that they do have? >> Yeah, I think um you know, they they have a lot of skill up front. You know, Yosi is obviously a very dynamic uh player on the back end. He’s all over the ice, so you got to be aware of where he is. And um you know, we’re going to be uh it’s a challenge for sure, but we’re looking looking forward to that challenge. What do you like about playing with Troy? >> Uh, I think just uh we’re predictable. Um, we talk a lot. Um, we’re playing hard defense and transitioning the puck very well and um keeping it out of our net. And I think that’s a important thing moving forward obviously is um we’re playing against a lot of top lines is keeping the puck out of our net and um providing that transition offense to, you know, get it to our forwards and get on the attack. >> Is there anything that you you take from the last time you met these guys that you can bring into this this game? That was a couple months ago. So, um, we know we’re more worried about what, uh, you know, what we’re doing instead of what they’re doing, >> Bobby. When, uh, after the Capitals game, Craig says the other team brought more passion than you guys. Um, how does that sit with you? How does that sit with the room? >> Uh, I think it’s I think we’re aware of kind of where where we’re at and how much more we want to bring. um how much more competitiveness we want to bring um and more energy to the games um and we we did not like that outcome. So um we’ll definitely have a response here and hopefully can get things rolling. >> How do you view it? Do you view it as a a one-off or do you feel like competitiveness has been an issue this season for the team? >> Uh I think it’s just inconsistency. I think a lot of teams battle with that side of it some sometimes more than than other seasons. um because we’ve definitely shown that um we can be well connected and a team that plays uh with that high competitive energy, but um yeah, as of as of the last game, it wasn’t uh entirely there. So, it’s it’s just trying to consistently show up with that for for a full game and then games on end. >> What have you learned about managing the ups and downs, the noise that comes with playing for this team sometimes? Uh, I think it’s just you you focus as much as you can internally and and try and uh work with the guys uh that are around you, your linemates, um guys you’re on the ice with, guys you’re going going out to dinner with cuz you’re you’re a team at the end of the day ultimately and and you want to um get the best from each other and it’s it’s being there for each other and um all the way through at all all points of road trips, home games, whatever it is, any aspect away from the rank at the rank all the time. How do you feel about where your game is at right now? >> Uh just trying to always consistently um push for more. Um trying to generate more chances, trying to um play with speed and and just trying to stick to the things that have worked for me in the past, which is using my speed, being physical, those sorts of things. >> Does your game excel when it comes to playing with guys like Josh? Uh, I think we all kind of play um in a way that’s like hard work first, kind of competitiveness first, uh, and and winning puck battles, and then trusting that we’re trying to if we get pucks in the net, we’re all big enough, we can make plays around the net, and, um, things things will go in. So, um, just being predictable for each other and and working hard off the puck. >> Is that at all a concern for you that you talked about trying to be more of a consistent team that that’s still a a talking point, an issue? almost the point of the year. >> Uh I think I think yeah, like it’s just consistency is always always the word that that comes up because you can play well in sports, but it’s it’s bringing it every night and that that comes from your preparation and that comes from um everybody individually taking on the job that that they’re required to do. So it’s it’s guys looking at themselves first and then picking up each other along the way to bring that consistent outcome. when you look across at the other side, what’s the biggest challenge the the Predent? >> Yeah, they got uh they got some good good D back there that can jump up in the play and that’s always something that we got to defend the rush and be good on the rush defense. Um they’re always going to have four guys up there and um they can they’re pretty opportunistic so they can they can make plays and and score if we give them the chance but um hopefully we can um pressure them enough that they don’t get those. Yesterday, Craig seemed to have you guys working on neutral zone defense a little bit there. What is has been the the issue or was the issue in that area of the game? >> Uh it’s just cleaning up like details as far as um kind of our aggressiveness of it. We want to be more aggressive, get more pucks back kind of thing. um and just and and re rehone in on those details to make sure everybody’s on the same page uh to make sure that we’re we’re effective in in that neutral zone because it’s it’s a big part of the game and a lot of the game ends up being played there. >> Thanks. Any lineup changes today? >> Yeah, there could be. I’ll make decisions tonight. >> Is Joseph starting though? >> Yes. >> How’s Christina doing? How’s he progressing? Where’s he at? >> Well, he’s skating. He’s progressing. like he feels good on the ice, but um there’s still decisions that have to be made >> with him personally. >> Okay. >> And u doctors. Okay, that’s it. >> What’s the message going into a game like this given what took place? >> Yeah. No, obviously a response. Uh we can be a lot better. Um, you know, I think uh, you know, nobody was happy after that game and um, we had good we had a good meeting about it all and um, um, you know, I think we’re all on the same page here, ready to go tonight. I mean, we just got to go play our game here tonight and, uh, you know, got to forget about the other game. We got to move on and get ready for tonight’s game. Um, and and play the way we can. >> How about from your leaders? Is this type of situation where you kind of ask more from them because of this. >> Um for sure uh yes they they did they definitely have to lead and um you know they did they were they were vocal about u things the other night so which was good. It’s good to see >> change much the power play going into tonight or what’s the the approach and you you get opportunities? >> There will be changes in the power play tonight. >> What so if there’s change changes in personnel in the in the units? Is that what you mean? Yes. >> Um why not practice it yesterday then the power play? >> Um just because I I didn’t want to. That’s all. I just didn’t want to get there. I wanted to do on work on other things and I didn’t want to be out there very long. Um so uh that that was the reason. >> Was it an X and O’s meeting or was it a different kind of meeting? >> It was partially X’s and O’s for sure. And then just the other part of the meeting for me was just the mindset, you know, like where we’re at, you know, like I talked to our guys, we looked heavy in that game, you know, like um we got to we got to we got to like trust our abilities and u we got a good team here. Um just like loosen up and go play and to your abilities, right? And uh there’s we can make more plays than we are and um we have to make more plays. we need the puck more than we we have and you know there’s opportunities and um times that we we need to possess the puck more and do more with it. >> That was a big part of it and then obviously ex how we can do that better. >> You mentioned a few days ago that Stallers need to see someone else assuming a specialist. Is there any >> He’s um I think he’ll be going soon to go see that doctor for that fairly soon. And I know he just had a baby. >> Um, so yeah.

Players and Coach address the media ahead of tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators.

00:00 Jake McCabe
01:30 Bobby McMann
05:25 Craig Berube

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