After a 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche, Jim Hiller spent plenty of time talking about the pieces that made the night work - William Nylander’s huge offensive showing, Sergei Bobrovsky’s first victory as a Leaf, Nick Blankenburg’s instant impact, and the way Gavin McKenna keeps climbing into bigger and bigger minutes.
McKenna’s rise has been impossible to miss, and Hiller made it clear the rookie isn’t just being handed prime opportunities. The young forward has started earning them.
“He’s playing good. You know what I mean?
We’re not just giving that to him. He’s earned that.”
Hiller added that the coaching staff can already see where this is headed, but for now, McKenna’s play is forcing their hand.
“You can see down the road where this is going to go with him. But for now, at that young age, if he’s earned it, we’re going to give him a crack to do that.”
That included looks on the first power-play unit and extra shifts on the top line, something Hiller tied directly to the way McKenna has performed over the last stretch.
“No, I mean - you guys have seen it, too - it just seems to be every game he’s taking steps. We just played Vegas and Colorado, and you’re a young guy at 18 years old, and to play those two games back-to-back, it’s pretty impressive.
And he’s dynamic. You know that. He’s just a good player, and he’s going to be for a long time.”
The power-play usage came after McKenna helped spark a sequence that led to a Nylander goal, and Hiller was quick to praise the rookie’s all-around game, including the work that doesn’t always show up in the flashy moments.
“Well, when we need him to backcheck, we know he can backcheck!”
Nylander, meanwhile, was at the center of the night’s offensive explosion with a five-point performance, and Hiller pointed to the way it all started. For him, the key wasn’t just the finish - it was the work that created the chance in the first place.
“Well, he was skating.
I think it must have been the first goal, where he makes the nice pass to Blankenburg. Back it up 10 seconds: He’s in on the forecheck, he wins a puck battle, and that sets the whole thing up. And then he’s allowed to get the opportunity to make the next play because he made the first one by skating on the forecheck and winning a battle.”
Hiller also said Nylander’s game has changed dramatically since he first coached him, especially on the defensive side.
“Well, I mean, the obvious: He’s more mature, both mentally and physically. He was always strong then, but now he’s a real powerful player.
And I think he understands the game really well with and without the puck. When I first was with him and he was young, he was an offensive player, and you’re trying to teach him how to play the game without the puck.
I think now he knows how to play the game without the puck. I think that’s probably the biggest difference.”
Blankenburg’s first game of the season gave the Leafs an immediate lift, and Hiller said that kind of start can settle a team right away.
“Yeah, well, I mean, that’s the way you want to start. You get a great start from Blanky.
That probably gives you a boost of confidence, I’m sure. He probably played more than we thought he was going to play for his first game of the season.
But I thought that D-corps battled. It was tough in the D-zone at times, but those guys did a really good job of just bending but not breaking.”
In goal, Bobrovsky picked up his first win as a Leaf, and Hiller said the veteran’s presence was exactly what the group needed after a pair of demanding games.
“Those last two games were a lot of work for him.
And I guess that’s just classic Bob, right? That’s why he’s here.
He just has a way to settle everybody down. Such a calm demeanor, and he made some great saves.”
Hiller also explained how the Leafs tried to handle Nathan MacKinnon as the game wore on. The plan, he said, was to get a specific trio over the boards against him late.
“Well, in the third period, we really tried to get Sissons, Blueger, and Duhaime against them.
If you check that, outside of the power plays and stuff, we matched them up and got our matchup at five-on-five. And I thought those three, in particular, did a great job in the third period.”
As for Chris Tanev, Hiller said he had not received an update yet, but stressed that concern is always part of the job when a player is dealing with an injury situation.
“I haven’t heard anything about that yet.
I’m always concerned for my players.”
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Suddenly Face A Blue Line Problem Without Chris Tanev
The Maple Leafs have had to reshuffle their blue line after veteran defenseman T.J. Tanev left Saturday nights win over the Avalanche in the first period with an upper-body injury. Toronto has since placed him on injured reserve, a development that forces the team to lean on its depth a little earlier than planned and puts added pressure on a defense group that has already been working through adjustments under coach Jim Hiller.
Marshall Rifai was recalled from the Marlies to give the Maple Leafs another option on the back end, while Nick Blankenburg has been asked to take on a bigger role in Tanevs absence. For a team that values stability on defense, the mix-and-match look is not ideal, and it leaves Toronto waiting to see how quickly it can settle its pairings once Tanev is available again. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews May Be Unlocking Something New Under Jim Hiller
Auston Matthews has wasted little time giving the Maple Leafs a reason to look twice at what has changed around him. In a short run under Jim Hiller, Matthews has already produced two four-point games, a burst that stands out next to the more limited high-end scoring he had across two seasons under Craig Berube. The sample is tiny, but it is hard not to notice the difference when one of the leagues most dangerous finishers starts flashing that kind of ceiling again.
The explanation may not be simple, and it probably is not just about Matthews suddenly seeing the ice differently. Coaching style, ice time, linemates and power-play usage all come into the conversation here, because those are the details that can either feed a scorer or starve him of chances. The Leafs are still early in this evaluation, but if Hiller is opening up new offensive lanes for Matthews, it is the sort of adjustment that could matter well beyond a six-game snapshot. [Read more 🡒]
William Nylander Is Driving Why The Maple Leafs Look Dangerous Again
William Nylander keeps giving the Maple Leafs the kind of offensive push that changes the feel of a game before it even settles in. In Torontos 6-3 win over Colorado, he was central to everything, helping fuel a stretch that has the Leafs looking far more dangerous early in the season and making life easier for teammates who have been able to build off that momentum.
The scoring burst also fit neatly into the bigger arc of Nylanders career in Toronto, where his production has become the kind of steady force this team can lean on. With the way he is driving play right now, the Leafs are getting both immediate results and a reminder that their top-end skill can tilt a night quickly when he is rolling. [Read more 🡒]