Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube addressed the media after his team’s 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild, which dropped the Maple Leafs’ record to 24-17-8.
On the team’s biggest issue in the game:
We didn’t play well enough. That’s it. Mistakes.
We made too many mistakes. Line change goal. Two PK goals against. We just weren’t detailed enough in certain areas. It cost us the hockey game. We made a good push in the third, but it was too late.
On whether fatigue is factoring into the team’s mistake-laden play:
Possibly. It is tough with the travel and schedule. Late nights on this trip. We got home late Saturday after Winnipeg. That is true, but in saying that, that is where you have to be smarter and manage it a little bit better. I thought we could have (managed it better) tonight.
I didn’t mind our start. I thought we had some pretty good jump. But there was a PK goal against, and then another mistake. It was just mistakes that cost us, and they were mental.
We talked before the game about it being a mental grind tonight and having to do things right. You have to be patient and do things smartly. I thought we didn’t do that well enough, and it cost us the hockey game.
On Matthew Knies battling an ongoing injury, and his comment about benefitting from the upcoming Olympic break:
It will help with the rest. Right now, he doesn’t have the luxury of rest. We have been trying to keep him off the ice, even on game-day skates, to help him.
In saying that, I thought he competed hard tonight and did some good things. He is fighting through it, which is good to see.
On whether it might make sense for Knies to skip a game or two to manage rest:
That is a good question. He came close tonight. He was a game-time decision. We’ll see moving forward.
On Joseph Woll conceding 11 goals in the last two starts:
I think he is battling it a little bit with traffic and stuff like that. He’ll be fine.
Game Highlights w/Joe Bowen: Wild 6 vs. Maple Leafs 3