Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube quips about Matthew Tkachuk’s threat aimed at William Nylander

Craig Berube and the Toronto Maple Leafs have returned home and are looking to rest and regroup ahead of an all-important Game 5 against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

The 2-0 Game 4 shutout loss in Florida on Sunday night was a frustrating affair for Toronto. The Maple Leafs were shut down for most of the night, limited to just 23 shots on goal as they saw their 2-0 series lead evaporate in a matter of days.

The Panthers played their typical physical style of game while not shying away from after-the-whistle activities. That was on full display in the final seconds of Game 4 after Max Domi delivered a last-second hit from behind on Aleksander Barkov. As expected, all four other Panthers on the ice immediately jumped in to defend their captain.

While the chaos ensued on the ice, Matthew Tkachuk began to stir the pot in between the benches. Florida's superstar winger was looking to drag William Nylander into the mix, pointing at the Maple Leafs superstar while mouthing, "I'm gonna get you."

For the first time since the incident, Leafs coach Craig Berube was asked how he feels Nylander will handle Tkachuk's antics. TSN shared the video of his response on X (formerly Twitter).

"He probably didn't even hear him. He doesn't even hear me," Berube said.

When asked about Tkachuk in his postgame media availability, William Nylander was unfazed, saying:

"He'll probably do whatever he can do to get a player off their game. Next game is going to be a fun one."

Craig Berube knows not to bother William Nylander

While Matthew Tkachuk is always looking to get into his opponents' heads, Craig Berube is well aware that it won't affect William Nylander.

The Maple Leafs' bench boss had some funny comments when asked about the 29-year-old after their Game 2 win. Sportsnet shared the clip on X.

"He doesn’t feel pressure," Berube said. "There's no too big of stage for this guy. He thrives on this stuff in my opinion... And he doesn't want me to talk to him. So I just leave him alone."

We will see whether Matthew Tkachuk's attempt to antagonize William Nylander comes back to bite him in the end.

Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs certainly hope that's the case when they host the Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round series on Wednesday night in Toronto. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena.