Maple Leafs Media Availability | December 21, 2022

Jordie Benn yeah I feel good we're uh we're ready to go um I also don't know uh how Sandy's doing so we'll uh we'll wait and see how uh how he is and we'll go from there oh it was great um you know we had that little uh conditioning sent together in in the miners and um you know it should uh it was a good good practice today yeah he's a good defenseman that's about it yeah we work well together yeah just Relentless you know um given uh given the opponent a a hard game for sure um you know the boys got some confidence we're moving the puck while he's got to keep it going good perfect John Tavares set out about the performance last evening uh I think we just uh you know really stuck I think to uh our identity in the way we need to play um and just as you know I thought we uh we checked and defended really strong and uh because of that we started to generate our offense from there um you know obviously a very good team obviously I've accomplished a lot in elite players so you really got to be on it from uh the drop of the puck right until the final buzzer I thought we did a pretty good job of that um you know it's never a perfect night but uh against a team like that like just the way we pressured the puck uh the place we the pace we played with and um what it cost turnovers and eventually earn our chances and get reward for it things that are going well and tomorrow's only one game yeah I mean every game is important and no doubt uh be our longest layoff of the Year between games and then obviously away from the ranks so uh you know you want it on a good note especially uh this time of year being at home and uh you know guys are always excited about getting a chance to have an afternoon game kind of just get up and get at it so um yeah no doubt uh want to build off last night and and I know we're going to be challenged tomorrow um and and what Philly brings so um no doubt uh build on build on last night and and back up those two points another good effort tomorrow yeah I think everything is you know we've uh had our own uh sorts of adversity uh where they're just not getting results early our play not being uh not being as consistent uh obviously we've had our fair share of injuries so far and each part of the team has kind of really stepped up and rallied around that and uh I think uh you know the chemistry and I think uh the group here just continuing to really come together uh and grow and and uh um you know the way we need to play to have success and and uh you know slowly we're getting more and more bodies back especially key players so which is exciting um but yeah I think everyone has just played at a really high level and just it's been team efforts you know just consistently throughout our lineup contributions from everywhere which uh um in the long run you think is going to obviously pay off and uh um you know office as a season goes on yeah I don't know him well uh you know I I've you know heard a lot about I think uh just a really likable guy uh guys really enjoy playing with them and having them around the locker room and a lot has been talked about just I think his size and his work ethic uh you know hasn't uh maybe gotten rewarded offensively but uh does a lot of good things and works extremely hard uh and so you know whether it's 50 50 pucks uh closing time and space uh you know you know making positive impact on the game that way uh you know obviously can be very good for our group and excited to get him here and in the fold thank you Dryden Hunt I felt good yeah it was nice to get in I got in late last night so nice to get a skate in and meet some of the guys feel a little bit more comfortable how'd you learn about the trade I found out on uh what was it two days ago I was ready for the Marine skating just got a call from CMAC and that was that was it actually yeah what was your initial reaction I was shocked just because I'd only been in Colorado for uh didn't even seen like two months so um got a little bit of shock but I decided really excited to be here when you're told you're coming to this team what goes to your mind success Elites have had this season yeah it's it's kind of the same feeling when I got picked up by Colorado just a really good team you're a little bit nervous to come in they've been playing so well so you don't want to disrupt anything but um just really excited I'm Acadian guy and playing in Canadian city is pretty special so I'm excited about it so energy a solid two-way game um you know obviously try and chip in when I can but like I said the team's been playing really well so I just kind of slide in wherever and contribute right again absorbing everything but stood up about your line mates in Joey and carpet yeah it's the first day so um I just seem like skilled players um fast Speedy um yeah so it's just one one practice so I don't want to put too much thought into it but um yeah it should be good we know you know Michael from uh no not really I went to Notre Dame with Morgan Riley we were on different teams but um have that brief connection but yeah it's a lot of new faces yeah that's that's way back yep what do you hope to bring down to the like we know what kind of player you are that you know the fourth line grip that's sort of been driving is that what you expect to bring yeah definitely obviously you see just skill and talent in this room I'm not coming here to you know be a skilled guy or by any means but um yeah I'm just trying to bring energy you get on the four check um like I said just chip in where I can and um yeah it should be good if teams buzzing so yeah Michael said don't sleep on your office that is kind of one of the underrated parts of your game do you feel that you've been sneaked at times in that regard even if you are bringing any other airlines yeah I think when you're you know in this in this league and things don't go right right away I think you've got the stick a little bit a little bit tighter um so yeah maybe snake biting isn't the right word but um hopefully with you know more opportunity and more chances and he's got to take advantage of it so um yeah I wouldn't say it's I mean coming here to contribute by any means but um yeah in the past American League and you know in junior everybody you know kind of contributes so practices uh we just fly through practice it's nice the music was a nice touch I like that uh it kind of takes the pressure off a little bit um but yeah we just kind of flew through practice and go to the board much guys are flying so yeah it was a good really good Pace similar to here yeah when I was in Arizona you got called up Midway through and only took him a couple days to be the real ones so uh yeah yeah somewhere guy he's great though he's uh he's awesome for the room and kind of brings that lighthearted attitude and yeah it's good to have around where's your team growing up uh I was I grew up in uh Nelson BC so I watched the Canucks quite a bit but uh you're always watching Toronto on Saturdays so uh yeah uh capture my team back then Sheldon Keefe I I got good energy lots of personality to them uh a couple conversations with them and I think he's excited to be here I think he's got a general excitement about him in general with his demeanor which I think is always good especially as you come in as a depth player and all of that I think you've got good energy and a good vibe about you um I think that did yours you to your teammates and everything like that and it's all part of now having a shorter adjustment period of time and you know for him you know we've got uh obviously the break right around the corner here so today was a good chance for him to get an acclimated um he's not going to play tomorrow but we'll have him involved in our warm-up in our meetings and such and just try to make it so when he comes back from the break with us that he's a little bit further ahead no update other than he's he's not going to play tomorrow and uh we'll use the brake uh to get a better sense of exactly where he's at um just needs more time to be evaluated yes yeah particularly considerations all these things to work on that sort of thing but one game left another for Christmas what's your level of satisfaction is very word for where the team is and how it's playing the record it's accumulated to at this point obviously we feel really good about what we've done as a team but it is a long season and there's always little details to clean up I mean last night I thought we played a really good hockey game but there's details inside of it over the course of 16 minutes that you know things that happen more than once that you want to clean up we made some mistakes in the game whether it's some breakout pieces or mistakes off of face-offs like those are the kind of things your little details in your game that even when you are feeling really good about them and over the course of 82 games some things slipped through the cracks it's just the reality of a game as dynamic as ours you know um in the you know our sport is one that's a lot of things happen really quickly and it feels like you're you're plugging holes in one spot and cleaning things up and then all of a sudden you know some something leaks on the other side so you're just staying true to your process of daily meetings and video and discussions with the team and with individual players and maximizing the time you have in practice and then you know just kind of ride in the wave that comes with the NHL schedule I guess the fact of the matter is though you guys are these are Big goals we're talking about here with the record and the way you guys have been defensively the goaltending you've had and you've needed it you know you're not these aren't big worries yeah fair to say I mean we certainly don't have anything that I'd say is a huge a huge concern right now um we feel good about our game we're just continuing to refine it and uh special teams are an area I think that uh you know we can continue to focus on that's why I felt so good to get such an important goal for us on the power play yesterday against a penalty kill that had really uh been been thriving so huge goal for us there those are just the little things that you just trying to be as good as you can in every single area so we you know whether it's statistics you know the underlying numbers that are there or our own game that we're seeing on the video like we're trying to refine it and be as close to perfect as we can is there a concern at all do you have to guard against making sure the team's attention is sharp in a game like tomorrow before the break and afternoon game against the team yeah I think it's always funny game and the first or the last one excuse me before the break just just the reality of it it's one of those that you you can't help but you know you have plans after the game you've got family in or you're trying to get out like you've got all sorts of stuff that's happening so yes our message today really was just about focusing on the fact you got 60 minutes remaining to play and um you want to of course with as good as things have gone for us here of late you know the two game uh you'll lose the losing streak on the road notwithstanding we felt good about our game and of course want to go into the break with that same feeling ability kind of stick around wait for an opportunity veteran player knows exactly who he is I know and what he needs to do he's worked real hard through his injury to get himself back obviously he did a really good job for us stepping in at a time when we really needed them with our injuries and did a really good job there got a great person personality about him just goes about his business every day a popular guy in the room I know that I spoke about Dryden Hunt's personality and other guys just really comfortable with who he is and what he's done in the league and is always ready and available when called upon of course he's had some battles with injuries but you know when he's gotten through that you know every day you see him you bump into him you chat with him and you see him interacting with his teammates and you feel good about what he brings to the team tomorrow yes what was the value in exposing that success and what I just think we were playing against a really good team and there's some very good players on the other side I just think first of all Holmberg has earned it he's earned the opportunity to sort of take a step in in the level of competition in the situations that I'm putting him in and then you're also trying to almost test them and see what they can do there someone that I thought went well and as others you know not so well and things that they can clean up but that's all part of that Joey Anderson is similar to Holmberg is trying to kind of find himself at the NHL level um and part of it is you know playing well enough consistently enough to stay in the lineup and then the other part of it is how can your role and your minutes grow so I think we need to expose our guys a little bit we've seen what's happened on the back end as some of our guys have been forced into increased rules and responsibilities so I'm trying to fight that balance of of uh you know winning the game and trying to win every single shift and put everybody in the best possible situation to also trying to ensure that our team can grow inside of what's Happening day to day thank you