Craig Berube on Auston Matthews' nine games without a goal: "It is tough on him and tough on the team... We need him to produce"

"Things changed as the day went along. We held those guys out. It does. It's tough. We want to win games. When you come to the rink and three important players aren't in the lineup, it is going to impact the guys. But I thought the guys came out and were ready to play, which is important."

"I don't see him forcing it. He is getting opportunities. It is tough. It is tough on him and tough on the team. We need him to produce. It is not like he isn't getting his looks. They just aren't going in right now. He just has to stick with it."

"I thought the first period was fine - a pretty even period. The second period was all penalties. They had the better third period than us. Our goalie kept us in there and got us the point."

The Maple Leafs fell to the Devils 4-3 in a shootout, dropping their record to 27-24-11. Coach Craig Berube noted the first period was even, the second was penalty-heavy, and the Devils dominated the third period. The team's goalie kept them in the game and earned a point. Berube made last-minute roster decisions to scratch Scott Laughton, OEL, and Bobby McMann for roster management purposes, which he acknowledged impacts the locker room despite the players showing readiness to compete. Captain Auston Matthews led by example in effort and work ethic. Matthews continues a nine-game goal drought, though Berube sees him generating opportunities and expects him to break through soon.

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