Date: November 13, 2025
Source: Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube)
Head coach Craig Berube spoke with the media before the Maple Leafs’ game against the Los Angeles Kings, discussing injuries to Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz, lineup changes, team mindset, and how the group plans to respond through adversity.
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On Handling Injuries to Matthews and Stolarz
“We played last year without him for a while. Next man up mentality. Guys get a bigger bite here, bigger role. Just need a better team game.”
“I’m hoping a week maybe, but maybe sooner. We’ll see. He could come in a couple days from now feeling a lot better and hopefully he’s good to go. But we’ll see. It could be as long as a week.”
“Stolarz is day-to-day.”
On When Matthews Was Injured
“It happened in the game. Not the Zadorov hit — he was fine. Wasn’t happy about it, but fine. Doesn’t matter when. It doesn’t matter.”
On John Tavares’ Minutes and Conditioning
“He’s in tremendous shape. I don’t feel it’ll be an issue if I need to use him more.”
On Dennis Hildeby’s Play
“I think he’s come in and done a good job. He’s been put in some tough situations and I think he’s come in and given us a chance to win. I like the way he’s been playing.”
On Goaltending and Curtis Sanford’s Role
“It’s obviously important, but it’s not just on him. It’s on the goalies and it’s on myself. It’s our job to try to get this goaltending situation straightened out. It’s on everybody.”
On the Group’s Mindset After Three Straight Regulation Losses
“We went through stretches last year where we lost three in a row. It’s a tough stretch right now and nobody’s happy about it, obviously, but I didn’t feel there’s frustration today. I felt like we’re in the right mode to fix it.
My job, the coaching staff, the players — my job is to try to get them going in the right direction. We’ve got to stay positive and work our way out of it.”
On Mermis Drawing Into the Lineup
“Mermis is in tonight. He moves the puck fairly well. He’s a good skater. He’s got experience. We’ve used him in the past. Just wanted to make a switch on D.”
On the Challenge of Facing the Kings
“They’ve got size up the middle: Kopitar and Byfield, two big centermen. Veteran D-Core back there. They don’t give you a lot. Their PK is excellent.
It’s going to be key for our power play to do a good job tonight. Special teams are going to be important. For me, it’s about managing the game. We’ll have to have patience and work for our chances. At the same time, we can’t be forcing things and putting ourselves in tough situations. Patience and managing the game are going to be important.”
On Confidence in the Group to Get Through Adversity
“It’s a veteran group. A lot of guys in that room have gone through this before. We’ve got a veteran group here and I have full trust in these guys. They all know what they have to do. They’ve all been through this in their careers, maybe with different teams, but I feel like we have enough talent and determination to pull through.”
Pulse Takeaway
Craig Berube stressed a “next man up” mentality with Matthews and Stolarz sidelined and said the Leafs’ veteran core gives him confidence they can push through adversity. He praised Dennis Hildeby’s calm play and said patience and game management will be key against the Kings’ structured, physical style.
Quotes from Craig Berube via Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube). Used for analysis and commentary.
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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