Craig Berube made himself heard at practice on Friday — and so did Brandon Carlo. Read More
Craig Berube made himself heard at practice on Friday — and so did Brandon Carlo. As Max Domi finished off a rush drill, the 6-foot-5 Leaf defenceman rode the smaller Domi hard into the end boards. The feisty winger cross-checked him in retaliation and during the next break, Carlo slowly skated over to make sure
Craig Berube made himself heard at practice on Friday — and so did Brandon Carlo.
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As Max Domi finished off a rush drill, the 6-foot-5 Leaf defenceman rode the smaller Domi hard into the end boards. The feisty winger cross-checked him in retaliation and during the next break, Carlo slowly skated over to make sure they’re still buds.
That exchange and Berube’s barking contrasted with playful shooting and rebound contests with the two goalies after the formal part of the workout ended. With few practices remaining before playoffs, it seemed the right mix of emotions.
“Max gave him a shot, but that’s the competitive nature of us,” said fourth liner Steven Lorentz of witnessing the exchange. “You see guys practise fighting, but they make up after. You like to see that fire. It means guys care.
“(But) you gotta keep (practise) light. It’s a long season and it’s gonna get even longer and tougher come playoffs. We have a good practice and it’s good to have a little fun after. It keeps morale up.
“The mental side of it is just as important as taking care of your body. Little things like team dinners do a lot. That’s when you get to know guys, goofing around when their true colours come out.”
Lorentz, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and goaltender Anthony Stolarz all went the distance last spring with the champion Florida Panthers.
“This is time of year when you really try and dig in, take your game to the next level,” OEL said. “You’ll have ups and downs in a long season, but for the most part, we’ve been pretty positive.”
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