Maple Leafs Media Availability | Pregame at Buffalo Sabres | March 30, 2024

Maple Leafs Media Availability | Pregame at Buffalo Sabres | March 30, 2024

And see the organization commit to guys like you yeah it’s awesome to see um cuz you look at the the way that guy plays and um the style of game that he plays and it’s it’s a hard Style game and it’s nice to see him get rewarded because he

He puts the work in and he’s uh not afraid to to play the that hard style what do he maybe bring to the team behind the scenes that that we don’t see uh I mean a great attitude he’s always putting smiles on guys faces making guys

Laugh um he’s just bit of a goofy guy kind of a funny guy to have around and um great personal so I think I think he’s a great addition and it’s awesome to have him here for a while you guys are the Marley of course they want to

Play in the NHL all of them do but is that kind of not advice or whatever you’d say to them that this can happen and we’re two good examples here of of what what can happen in the end when the hard work goes into a all yeah I think

It it definitely shows that you can get rewarded and if you do put the work in consistently it’s just showing up consistently every day and um trying to be a player that’s relied upon and um can bring the same type of game and the coach knows kind of what you’re bringing

I think there’s a lot of value in that and I think that’s that’s my Approach and um it’ll definitely pay off for other guys too if they can do that Thompson has a four goal game last night I’m sure gets your attention what do you

Have to do to kind of control him if you’re out there against him tonight uh I think just getting his space I think you make him Rush Plays he’s he’s not going to have the puck on his stick um obviously be aware of them but uh I

Think with the way that uh we pressure and we’ve been uh playing hard lately and physical and um playing through his hands things like that I think shouldn’t be a problem when you’re catching a team that had just played the night before how noticeable is it like do you re like

Do you realize that they may be a little bit slower or tired from the previous game uh you could maybe say they’re a little slower but there’s also times where they’re right in the game maybe before we are um that that back to back I know for us sometimes you feel like

You’re in the game you you have your reads you’re um your spacing everything’s clicking right away because you were just playing the night before so um definitely not taking it lightly we’re going to uh be ready for him Sheldon obviously wasn’t happy after that New Jersey game and he called out a

Bunch of guys including John what did you make of how you know tarus responded to that cuz he felt he was really on last game yeah I mean I think he’s a professional he’s if he’s not particularly on one night he’s going to be on the next um and he he was dialed

He was ready to go and um just goes to show that he’s he’s played in the league a long time and he he knows when to bring it and how to bring it what’s the key to slowing down uh Tage Thompson tonight just uh play play close to him

Doesn’t give it uh space for him play aggressive and that’s it what do you remember most about your time in Buffalo uh it’s a good group of guys here good people uh I meet a lot of friends here like not just in the team or my neighbors we still on touch with them

Yeah it’s so nice what do you think of Donnie Donnie uh uh he’s a good guy good person good coach yeah he was good on me so the neighbors that you live beside you you’re still in touch with yeah yeah yeah why did you guys like become close

What uh we our proper properties like so close to each other and they have a small pound where my kids can fishing I asked them if it’s possible they say yes of course and we ride four wheelers together yeah it’s nice did you did you see them yeah yeah that’s cool will they

Be at the game tonight yeah the uh one guy come one game and he’s was in my home me very nice you played with mikov in Anaheim so young guy you were helping out when you come here and play with a veteran defenseman does your your role

Change you know it’s a little difference uh yeah little difference role you know uh in uh anahim I have to support mov and uh try to teach him a little bit how it’s work here what’s me NHL uh here it’s different you know yeah what stands what’s it like playing

With Ilia samsonov and you get the sense he’s eager to get back in tonight uh so it’s it’s nice but like doesn’t matter like uh we have every goalie what we have the nice and it’s nice effort effort for our team what do you sense from him though

Like he seems to be in his in a really good State of Mind these days he’s he’s good goalie you know like he’s help our team and that’s it yeah how do you think the defense is coping without Morgan in the lineup uh yeah it’s uh you know like I say before Morgan

Unbelievable player but uh we have a uh and other guys who can uh help his team too you know like uh it’s not just Morgan yeah it’s uh everyone same together in this group you know what do you like about the penalty kill the last little bit here uh I guess we started

Play more aggressive yeah how much has the confidence kind of increased because of the last couple games here and you know Washington had been so hot on the power play yeah just we we listen to our coach you know and try to play what way they want to you know and that’s

It obviously a lot of positives coming off the last game but we know this can be a tricky place to get two points in what are you stressing with the group going into this game just continuing the same mindset you know it’s uh that’s really what it’s about as as we showed

The other night you know we we didn’t practice after uh after the Jersey game we had a discussion as a team you show some clips and you go out it’s a different mindset you show the team knows how to play and knows what uh what

We need to do and so it’s just about uh having that same type of mindset now the the opponent tonight is probably more like New Jersey uh and and less like Washington so that in itself creates different challenges but terms of their skill set their ability to play in

Transition the pace that they can bring from the defense um all those kind of things so we’re going to be challenged in different ways than we were the other night so we’re going to have to be that much more focused on it and then you know be good on offense ourselves but

But make sure we’re we’re managing the puck really well um and play play in the offensive zone and and uh you know make uh make it harder on their top people and force them to defend is there anything you stress to your team when you’re catching the opposition on the

Second half of a back to back no we I didn’t even bring that up today I mean especially when it’s back to back where you’re staying at home you not having to travel I I don’t think that’s much of a factor at all uh we’re just focused on

Our game here for the most part so given that the previous visit here was such a oneoff for you guys is there any reference to it at all for you uh I referenced it yesterday just you know just as you know it’s just something

That I mean that’s a uh a long time ago a lot has changed since then but but it’s a reminder of what this this opponent’s capable of the type of skill that they have uh when you don’t play an organized game and then do you open up the possibility for something like that

Uh to happen so it’s just a reminder of that and I don’t think we need to go too far into it it’s more so the New Jersey example to me in terms of the chances we gave up and the type of game that we played there we we didn’t uh we gave up

Free offense you know those those kind of games there the team uh you know this team r i mean you look at it like there’s whether it’s New Jersey or buff alalo or Columbus like these kind of teams that we’ve played like you know that there’s a ton of skill on these

Teams some of the best offensive teams in the NHL in terms of playmaking controlled entries Rush play like all these sorts of things like these teams that are that are trying to find their way into the playoffs uh you know you look at them as you know maybe teams uh

You know that you should be able to win against well these guys make it really hard on you if you don’t play um with detail and structure and discipline in your game so that’s that’s really what it’s about for us and that’s that’s what it’s required to win no matter who

You’re playing against in the NHL consistently and certainly then this last stretch and we’re going to move into April and uh looking to secure a playoff spot and hoping to play in the playoffs that’s exactly the mindset that’s required do you see any long-term potential in the line of Holberg uh nice

Robertson well there’s three young guys that are you know that are you we we think and hope will be in the organization along long time so they’re going to they’re going to continue to build and grow um and what comes out of what comes out of these situations when

You’ve got guys injured is you try different things you work at different things and we’ve seen lots of positives in it it’s it’s three players are all kind of trying to find their way in the league but as they get more comfortable I think there’s great possibilities

There but the skill sets match well and uh you know we’ve liked what we’ve seen from it and like I said they three young guys that’ll continue to grow and and who knows uh you know what the future holds and looks like but when we get

Healthy I don’t see it as a as a trio what have you seen from Bobby since he’s played higher up in the lineup and how the chemistry might be coming along with him John and and William there yeah uh I’ve liked it a lot I think it’s

Important for Bobby to continue to stay um doing the things that he’s been doing drive and play um with his speed keeping the defense honest backing them off uh winning pucks back um for his line mates you know doing a job defensively all those kind of things uh

Being responsible F3 when it’s his turn to do that so all that sort of stuff the detail of his game we need to just stay on top of that and you know he’s been having a ton of success offensively but he’s doing lots of little things well

Too we just got to make sure that those details don’t slip surise cup just to have an extra body on the trip here yeah exactly we just we’re down to six defense and the way things have been going it’s important to have a have an additional guy he’ll be in warm up

Tonight what’s clicked for the penalty kill do you feel like the last little bit here uh we we put a lot of time in it a lot of time on it um it’s necessary to do so obviously and the guys that just bought in I think we we’ve made some

Adjustments to it and and the guys have responded really well despite a lack of practice time and such but but uh you know the early returns have been good but it’s a small sample at this point we want to continue to build on it

Players and Head Coach addresses the media ahead of tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

0:00 – Bobby McMann
3:24- Ilya Lyubushkin
6:37- Sheldon Keefe

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