Craig Berube met with the press shortly before the Flyers-Wild game tonight in the Wells Fargo Center.

This is a transcript:

Is Nicklas Grossmann good to go tonight?

"Yes."

How much have you missed his physical presence up front?

"I think you always miss Gross. You like the way he plays defensively and killing penalties and shot-blocking. He has been a real good player for us all year."

What is the state of being able to clear people from out in front in the NHL?

"It's a fine line. I think that when you can you've got to do it before you get to the net. Like, guys coming out of corners, you see a guy coming, you see a shot, when he is already there and established I think in that situation you maybe want to step in front of it and try to block a shot."

Claude Giroux has been hot. Has he found a home on that line with Jake Voracek and Michael Raffl?

"Well, I think you keep it together as long as it is producing. I mean, you've always got to make sure your top guys are producing. So, we'll see how they do. I don't see why they wouldn't keep producing. Like I said before, the line has a little bit of everything, and they seem to have good chemistry, and hopefully it continues."

Once, Giroux was called the "best player in the world". Is he nearing that again?

"I didn't say that. I don't even remember what I thought when it was said. Whatever."

Just that he is playing so well now?

"He's a good player."

Steve Mason in tonight?

"Yes."

Has Grossmann been your most consistent defenseman since Day 1?

"I mean, for what he does, I think him and Coby (Braydon Coburn) have done a good job defensively, both of them. Both are killing penalties and playing against good players on other teams. They have big bodies. They are physical. They are moving the puck good, both of them. I think they have been good, real good."

Is Andrej Meszaros ready to get more time?

"He's in tonight."

What are you looking for from him?

"He's got the potential to do everything, with his skating and his puck-movement and stuff. But we just want Mez to compete and compete hard. That's the biggest thing."

Is he up to speed now?

"Well, yeah."

Two, three years ago, he was really good?

"Yeah, well, he has had a lot of injuries over the last year and a half or whatever. But we need him. We need him right now. We need him to step up big."