"He is a great player. We know that. But also such a great teammate. He was kind of in and out of the lineup here, but not because he didn't deserve to be playing. He is a great player, as I said, and never complained about anything. He just showed up every day, worked hard, and was a part of it. He was a big piece of the room. It is great to see him have success there."
"I don't think we need to spend much attention offensively. It has been going pretty well. We're generating a lot of scoring chances and goals. But if we are going to have success long-term, it is about defending. It has been pretty much the story all season, getting better in that area. Maybe we need to make some adjustments over the break. We definitely need more attention to detail and more awareness. We are too willing to exchange chances, and ultimately, that's been hurting us."
The Maple Leafs face a tough matchup against a rested Edmonton Oilers squad in the final game before the Olympic break. Connor McDavid called the matchup lively and praised former teammate Troy Stecher for his play and character, while stressing the need to defend better to reduce goals and chances. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said offense is strong but long-term success requires improved defending, more attention to detail, and greater awareness, and suggested potential adjustments over the break. Knoblauch also noted the split-crowd atmosphere created by Toronto and Edmonton fans at the rink.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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