Walk the line, don't cross it coach Craig Berube reminds Maple Leafs

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Craig Berube knows the Maple Leafs won’t do justice to Anthony Stolarz by stewing in the sin bin.

So, expect the Toronto coach to double down on preaching restraint and discipline in Game 2.

“There’s an opportunity to take the body, take it, I don’t care who it is, you go through them.” Berube said Tuesday when the question of Sam Bennett’s controversial collision with goalie Stolarz came up. “But if you think you’re going to get back at Bennett (for the sake of retribution), you end up in the penalty box.”

Once it became clear the league wasn’t going to step in after no penalty call was made in Game 1 for Bennett’s elbow, the Leafs had no interest in continuing the debate.

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“It’s not my job to rule on those things, I’m just focused on the game tomorrow,” defencemen Jake McCabe said. “(Bennett) has a forecheck presence, I’ve defended against him my whole career. He’s a hard-nosed player and they won (the Stanley Cup) last year.

“Team discipline will continue to be a huge thing. Special teams are big in post-season. Winning that penalty advantage, they got one and we didn’t last game, that’s it right there.”

Berube was quizzed on what would have happened in the 1980s and ‘90s had there been any hint of skullduggery on an opponent’s part if a key teammate was injured.

“Somebody would’ve done something right away,” he said with a laugh. “Probably me, if I was out there.”

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby