Craig Berube was feeling pretty good about how Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews fared in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, not just because their strong play bodes well for the Maple Leafs in the coming weeks.
The coach had a fatter wallet, as did a few of the Canadians in the dressing room, collecting bets from American mates who were on the wrong end of Thursday’s 3-2 overtime final.
“Got some money from Kniesy,” chortled Berube of winger Matthew Knies having backed Arizona brethren Matthews. “He hasn’t paid me yet, so I told him it will (cost) more tomorrow.”
Knies shrugged off being out a few hundred bucks, but that the big winners should be the entire team now that Matthews, Marner and William Nylander have had a dose of high-level competition and Marner a hand in Connor McDavid’s celebrated winning goal.
“Seeing that arena so juiced, it was fun to watch.” Knies said. “Hopefully they come back with a lot of confidence and really help our team. I’ve played Canada a few times in my career, it’s easy to get fired up for those games.
“You don’t want to see (an overtime loss with Matthews on the ice) happen, but it’s how the game goes. At the Olympics, I’ll be excited to watch those guys go at it again.”
For now, the Leafs re-start the NHL regular season Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, a back-to-back with Sunday’s date in Chicago. Toronto also plays 17 times between Feb. 28 and April 2, with two Western U.S. road trips, trying to stay in the Atlantic Division’s first-place hunt.
Once the trio gets some rest — Nylander came back to practice Friday, while the other two were absent — Berube expects they’ll greatly benefit from the high level of competition, as winners or losers.
“Playing with the best players in the world, being in that environment, in that stressed situation, is good to experience. You can thrive on it.”
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Berube also cited Marner’s two primary assists, the biggest when he corralled Cale Makar’s wraparound pass and relayed to the uncovered McDavid in a tight window.
“That’s a bang-bang play, not many guys can make that,” the coach said. “I texted them both and congratulated them. They both got back to me. Good boys.”
Also watching was mentor and Canadian Olympic/World Cup veteran John Tavares, who didn’t see Marner’s play until he and his kids woke up Friday morning as the overtime and bedtime didn’t mesh.
“That’s as high a level as you can go, really,” Tavares said of Thursday’s pace in frenetic TD Garden in Boston. “Our game only continues to get better and better, then you get best-on-best internationally. With what’s on the line, two great countries, a great rivalry, wide open, a 6-5 kind of game, the level of execution and pace … when plays like Connor’s goal happen, they’re amazing to watch.
“It was a great moment for Mitch, to (help) score a great goal and make Canada proud. Without these events, we don’t see these kinds of special moments that make a lasting impact on the game, from Sidney Crosby’s goal in 2010 to Paul Henderson, to Gretzky-to-Lemieux.
“To do what Mitch does, find the open man and deliver, it’s an awesome moment for him and Canada. The whole participation, the pride that was shown, it’s great for him, Willy and Auston. I know they’ll be motivated coming back here, grow from it and help us in the stretch.”
Nylander also switched the game off when it got to overtime to rest for Friday’s practice.
“It didn’t matter to me, I had two great teammates on either side,” he said. “It would be good for one, tough for the other, but they both played great. Mitch has been buzzing all year and kept that going in the tournament. It gives you a boost, but he already knows he’s a great player, same as Auston.”
While Matthews failed to score in his three games and has gone a total of 11 without a goal counting prior to the break, Berube wasn’t bothered.
“I thought he was solid, did some good things without the puck. He had an opportunity to end that last game with the puck on his stick (a couple of times), but it didn’t happen.”
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