Craig Berube on Nick Robertson’s uptick in ice time and point production: “He’s getting more opportunities, and he’s deserved it”

Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach

Ahead of Wednesday’s game against Utah, Craig Berube discussed Nick Robertson’s recent success in the top six, Auston Matthews’ role on the PK, Scott Laughton’s return to the lineup, celebrating John Tavares’ 500-goal milestone, and Joseph Woll nearing a return to the crease.

Nick Robertson has earned more ice time of late. We’ve seen him on the penalty kill, too. What do you like about him there?

Berube: I always thought that Nicky played a structured game without the puck. He has speed and tenacity.  I do like him on the penalty kill; I like Bobby (McMann) and him, and I use them both here and there. We are running eight guys so that we aren’t overusing anyone on the PK.

What about Robertson’s game has allowed him to produce a lot more recently?

Berube: I have given him more opportunities, but he has deserved it. That is part of it, and that is confidence, right? He feels good about his game. He is getting a lot of good puck touches. He is getting shots and scoring. He is confident. It is a big part of the game.

What have you made of Auston Matthews’ evolution on the PK? He made a couple of big plays against Pittsburgh shorthanded.

Berube: That effort by him in the third period is what he is capable of doing. Penalty kill-wise, he is good in the faceoff dot, which is important, and he is a smart player. A lot of these offensive guys know what power plays are trying to do, and they have some anticipation to them. That is important on the PK.

Overall, Auston touches all of the ice for us, whether it is going up against top lines, penalty killing, or going out and winning faceoffs. He is a complete player.

You’re wearing the John Tavares 500 goals hat, and there will be a ceremony before the game. Does it give the group any extra energy at all?

Berube: Yeah, for sure. We are all excited for him. What a great career he’s had, and the things he has accomplished are incredible. We are all pretty jacked up about it. I am extremely happy to be a part of it.

Does it make it even nicer to have this moment at home with the fans, given that when he scored it, it was a muted celebration? What did you say to him on the bench when he scored the 500th?

Berube: Yeah, you always do the ceremonies back home, and it is great for the fans, John’s family, and the team.

I congratulated him. It is a big accomplishment, and there are a couple of them. There were the points with two different teams — not many guys have done that — and to get 500 goals in this league is a great accomplishment.

What are your expectations for Scott Laughton in his return? He missed a lot of hockey.

Berube: He will be energized, for sure, and will want to get out there and do his thing. We’ll see how the game goes and how he is looking in terms of whether there is a drop-off or not. A lot of the time, when you’ve been out a long time, you have practiced, but it is not a game. It’s totally different. We’ll see how his energy looks throughout the game.

Is there any more clarity on how close Joseph Woll is to returning to game action, whether with the Leafs or Marlies?

Berube: It is getting close. I don’t want to give you a timeline and then it changes, but I can just say this: He is in a really good spot. It is great to have him with us in practice. He is in a good spot, and he is doing well. It’s close.

What are you expecting from the group coming off the last game against Pittsburgh?

Berube: Probably a lot of what we saw in the third period. That is what we are looking for right away to start the game. Utah played last night, so they are on a back-to-back. Play with pace, energy, and get after them.

How do you change the trend of the team conceding the first goal?

Berube: Don’t get scored on!

I don’t know. Last game, I didn’t mind the start of the game. I get that they went down on a broken play and scored, but we don’t want to go into the game thinking about that. Just play and be focused on what we need to do and the process of it all.

You go through stretches throughout the year where you score first a bunch of times, and then it flips where you get scored on. You just have to keep playing; when we get scored on, we can’t get down, stop playing, and start backing off. We can’t do that. You are going to fall behind in this league, and you have to show pushback.

Have you experienced a situation like Monday’s before, where it feels like there are two different teams inside the same game?

Berube: Yeah, I have seen this before. I am sure a lot of people have. You can have bad periods and get away with it. You don’t want to have them — not like that — but we couldn’t get the puck from them.

Where were you on the temperature gauge after the first 40 minutes? Was it as hot as you’ve been since you’ve coached the team?

Berube: Pretty hot, haha. No doubt about it. It’s very close to the hottest, for sure. It was a total flip between the second and third. A total flip. We have to try to do a better job of not allowing that to happen.

What stands out about the strong start by the Utah Mammoth?

Berube: Their top two lines are really skilled. JJ Peterka coming over helps them. They have a good team and a pretty deep team with the way they’re set up. They’ve got skill and can make plays.