"We have back-to-back games coming up. We have an early game on Saturday here in Toronto. I felt we would get more out of a meeting and talking with the guys - a team meeting - and then the guys can do what they feel they need to do today. There are guys who are banged up, and we had to keep off the ice anyway. It wouldn't have been a full practice. We will get a full skate in tomorrow, and then we have back-to-back games."
"For me, it is all mental. We have to put 60 minutes together, play to our identity for 60 minutes, and understand what we need to do to be successful. We have to keep banging away at it and working at it. Sometimes, early adversity is okay. It is all part of it. You go through it throughout the year. We are going through it right now."
Berube made practice optional to prioritize a team meeting and rest before back-to-back games, including an early Saturday game in Toronto. Several players are banged up and would have been kept off the ice, so a full practice would not have occurred; a full skate is scheduled for tomorrow. Chris Tanev is doing better but is listed as questionable, and his absence creates a defensive hole that requires others to step up. Berube stressed that recent struggles are largely mental, called for consistent 60-minute play, adherence to team identity, and improved chemistry with new players while eliminating costly mistakes.
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