TORONTO 鈥 Craig Berube spent Thursday morning reminiscing. Thursday night was about business.
Berube, now the Maple Leafs coach, faced the Blues on Thursday night for the first time since he was fired by the club in December. Berube is the third-winningest coach in Blues history and coached the club to its only Stanley Cup championship in 2019. He was hired by the Maple Leafs in the summer and will make his return to Enterprise Center on Nov. 2.
鈥淭here鈥檚 emotions, but once the puck drops, it鈥檚 over,鈥 Berube said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just playing. We need a good response here tonight with our team, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e focused on.鈥
Before Toronto鈥檚 morning skate at Scotiabank Arena, Berube caught up with his former players and Blues staff members. Berube was the Blues' coach for parts of six seasons, taking over when Mike Yeo was fired in 2018 and succeeded by Drew Bannister last season.
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鈥淕ot a lot of memories there for sure,鈥 Berube said. 鈥淏een there a long time, worked with a lot of people for a long time. I have a lot of real good feelings for these people. In the end, we need two points. I can鈥檛 stress that enough.鈥
Since the Blues won the Cup in 2019, the roster has undergone quite a bit of turnover, and only five players from that postseason are on the current St. 亚洲无码 roster: Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko, Jordan Binnington, Oskar Sundqvist (who returned to St. 亚洲无码 last season) and Robert Thomas (out for six weeks with a fractured ankle).
鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that was always good to me throughout my career, had lots of good moments,鈥 Schenn said. 鈥淕ave me a great opportunity to play in this league for a long time with lots of good players and have nothing but respect for him.鈥
Parayko: 鈥淔rom a player perspective, he was great to play for. You wanted to come and play for him at the rink. He鈥檚 just a great coach. Obviously, winning a Stanley Cup with him is special and a bond that all of us players will have that were on that team together.鈥
Binnington: 鈥淒efinitely some great years. A lot of games, a lot of wins, obviously the championship. He鈥檚 a great person, too, so I definitely cherish the time with Chief and appreciate his work he gave us on a day-to-day basis and what we learned from him.鈥
Sundqvist said he did not get a chance to see Berube before Thursday鈥檚 game but that it was 鈥減robably best to stay away.鈥
鈥淧robably would have just rattled him up,鈥 Sundqvist said with a laugh.
On Thursday night, though, the Blues were ready to from Berube from behind the Maple Leafs bench.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure he鈥檒l be chirping us,鈥 Schenn said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been on the bench when he鈥檚 chirped some players. I expect no different from him.鈥
Berube, 58, opened the season 4-3-0 in his first few weeks guiding the Maple Leafs and is trying to win Toronto鈥檚 first Stanley Cup since 1967. When the Maple Leafs advanced to the second round in 2023, it was their first postseason series win since 2004.
With the Blues, Berube won five playoff rounds, and his 24 postseason wins are third in Blues history behind Joel Quenneville and Scotty Bowman. Before Thursday鈥檚 game, Berube was asked where his Stanley Cup ring from 2019 was, and he responded with levity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably somewhere at home,鈥 Berube said. 鈥淢y wife鈥檚 probably got it. Maybe she sold it, I don鈥檛 know. I haven鈥檛 seen it in a long time. I鈥檓 not sure where it鈥檚 at.鈥
Though Berube got the Blues in Toronto on Thursday, his true moment of reflection could come next week when he receives his ovation in St. 亚洲无码.
鈥淗e鈥檒l get everything that he deserves,鈥 Schenn said. 鈥淭his is a guy who turned our team around, helped turn our team around to get us to the Stanley Cup, and first coach to lift it. Coaching aside, as a person, how he treated everyone in the city, how he had time for everyone. He was a guy that really loved the city and fit in to the city so well.鈥
Sundqvist back
One day before the seven-month anniversary of his torn ACL, Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist returned to the lineup against the Maple Leafs. It was the second time Sundqvist has returned from a torn ACL, and he suited up on the Blues鈥 fourth line on Thursday.
鈥淢ore this one, it鈥檚 been feeling better since Day 1,鈥 Sundqvist said. 鈥淚 also feel like it鈥檚 different in a way where I obviously know what to expect and know when to maybe lay off for a little bit instead of keep pushing it. I feel like I was more prepared on how to handle and treat my knee.鈥
Sundqvist tore his ACL on March 25 against Vegas and underwent season-ending surgery shortly after that. He was skating late in the summer, participated in practice throughout training camp, was cleared for contact during the last homestand and was activated from injured reserve on Wednesday.
鈥淚 think at the 5陆-month mark almost, it started to feel really good,鈥 Sundqvist said. 鈥淪kating wasn鈥檛 an issue and minimal pain. I鈥檝e been feeling since the whole time this knee鈥檚 been strong and I haven鈥檛 had any thought about my knee being unstable or hesitating in a situation. It鈥檚 been a good feeling the whole time.鈥
Sundqvist is a natural center but will begin his return on the wing with Radek Faksa in the middle.
鈥淚 feel comfortable in any situation they鈥檙e going to throw me in,鈥 Sundqvist said. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had a single time where I thought that my knee鈥檚 not going to be able to handle it. I feel as ready as I can be.鈥
Sundqvist tore his left ACL in March 2021, but this time, it was his right one about three years later.
鈥淪ame feeling, same pain,鈥 Sundqvist said. 鈥淥bviously, you hope for the best, so you鈥檙e not entirely sure until you get the MRI results. Hoping for the best, but exactly the same pain and feel as the first one. In the back of my head, I knew it was completely torn again.鈥