Berube: 'Message has gotten across' for Leafs to stick up for one another

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was encouraged that Morgan Rielly came to the defense of goaltender Joseph Woll in Tuesday's loss to the New York Islanders.

Rielly took exception after Islanders forward Kyle MacLean collided with Woll.

"It's a great job by him getting in there and sticking up for Joseph," Berube told reporters postgame. "Obviously, that message has gotten across."

The Maple Leafs have been under the microscope since none of their players responded to Radko Gudas' knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews last week. The collision ended Matthews' season, while the Anaheim Ducks defenseman was suspended for five games.

Rielly, who was on the ice when Matthews was injured, took responsibility for failing to react to the incident. Berube said he's noticed a change in the defenseman in the three games since.

"It's been a tough year for him, we all know that," Berube said of Rielly. "He took that personally against Matthews. Like I said, it's not just on Mo or this guy, it's everybody. They all should have been in there right away. I think that they've obviously learned from it, and it's been a difference now."

Forward Steven Lorentz said the aftermath of the Matthews hit was a wake-up call for the Maple Leafs.

"It's definitely got guys' attention. I mean, it got the hockey world's attention, right? And we were disappointed in ourselves and how we handled that situation," he said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

"You hear the outside noise. You know, we'd be lying if we said we don't hear it. It's not that we don't pay attention to it. But we have to do a job, and we know what that is. And at times, we're human. We get away from it."

The Maple Leafs are 1-1-1 since Matthews was injured.