'Game-time decisions': Berube not tipping hand on Leafs Game 5 lineup
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Toronto Maple Leafs centre David Kampf was not on the ice for the team's optional skate on Wednesday, raising the question of whether he could enter the lineup for Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.
TSN's Mark Masters notes that scratches almost always skate on gameday. Kampf has yet to make his 2025 playoff debut and has not played since April 2.
Masters adds that none of the Maple Leafs who took the optional skate remained on the ice for extra work, which would typically signal the scratches, leaving the team's Game 5 lineup unclear.
"Game-time decisions," head coach Craig Berube said of his lineup after the skate.
Berube added, however, that those decisions will be coaches' choices and not injury related.
The head coach, who is in his first season with the Maple Leafs, called for more from his bottom six.
"The bottom-6 has really got to drive the pace of the game, the physical side of the game," Berube said. "Establish our game plan with our forecheck and how we want to check.
"They need to check. They need to do a good job of checking and playing with energy and pace."
As a whole, the head coach said he believes has the right mindset ahead of the pivotal Game 5.
"Business-like, ready to go," Berube described his team. "Looking forward to the challenge tonight. Excited to play. I thought our practice was really good yesterday. Guys were in a great frame of mind and we understand what type of game it's going to be and gotta go out and execute."
The Maple Leafs have iced the same skaters in every game since replacing Nick Robertson with Max Pacioretty for Game 3 of their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators on April 24.
Toronto used their same forward lines for Game 4 against the Panthers during Tuesday's practice, suggesting no changes would be made.
Kampf, 30, had five goals and 13 points in 59 games with the Maple Leafs this season. He appeared in all seven playoff games for the Maple Leafs last spring, scoring one goal.