Jim Hiller didn’t hide the obvious after the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 preseason loss to the Canadiens: the result stung. But in his first game behind the bench, the new head coach also saw enough to keep the bigger picture in focus.
“You like to win, right? That is where we always start, preseason or not.
You always like to win, so that part is disappointing. We play to win.”
That was Hiller’s opening read on the night, and it set the tone. The Leafs didn’t get the result, but Hiller said there were pockets of good play mixed with areas that need cleaning up. He pointed to changes the team is trying to make that still weren’t executed well enough, which he said will give the staff something concrete to show on video and improve on.
Special teams offered one of the clearer snapshots of the night. Hiller noted that preseason games usually feature plenty of power-play and penalty-kill work, and that some players had to sit before returning to action.
On the power play, he liked the puck movement once the Leafs established themselves in the zone. The unit generated more than the one goal it scored, which he counted as a positive sign.
The most encouraging individual showing, at least from Hiller’s perspective, came from Gavin McKenna. Hiller said McKenna was involved in three or four chances in a game he felt lacked much offense from either side.
“I thought it was good. In a game where I didn’t think there was a lot of offense from either team, he was in on three or four chances. You will take that every day”
“I thought he was good. It was a good start for him.”
McKenna’s night also included a rougher moment when he picked up a hooking penalty on his third preseason shift, but Hiller’s evaluation stayed on the positive side.
Auston Matthews, meanwhile, drew strong praise in his first game in a while. Hiller said Matthews looked sharp skating, dangerous with the puck, and dangerous in a way that stood out.
“I thought he was really skating. I thought he had the puck, and he looked dangerous. He had a lot of looks, so I liked his game.”
Hiller pointed to one sequence in particular: Matthews circled the net, drove through traffic, and sliced end-to-end through a couple of defenders. Hiller said that was not something he had seen often from Matthews last year, and he called it a “really positive thing to see.” He added that Matthews was moving well, carrying the puck, and forcing the goalie into a couple of strong saves.
On the team as a whole, Hiller drew a clear line between what he liked and what still needs work. He said the Leafs were better in their tracking and their work without the puck than they were with it. The puck side of the game, in his view, lacked bite.
“I would say we skated better in our tracking and stuff than we did with the puck. I didn’t think we were that dangerous with it.
We would like to be more dangerous. But when we are talking about skating without the puck, working back hard, and that sort of thing, I thought we did really, really well there.”
Hiller also addressed Sergei Bobrovsky’s workload, saying he leaves that conversation to goaltending coach Curtis Sanford. He said Bobrovsky, like anyone else, wants reps and wants to see pucks, and that the plan for how the games are split comes from Sanford before they see what Bobrovsky wants for the next outing.
“It is based on him. Just like any other player, he probably wants the reps and to see the pucks.
I thought he looked good. It was a pretty nice goal, but I wouldn’t give him the blame for it.”
In Other News...
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
Auston Matthews gave Maple Leafs fans something to track in an otherwise rough split-squad preseason night in Montreal, where Toronto dropped both games and had to settle for smaller victories in the individual performances. Matthews looked closer to his usual self with noticeable speed and an assist, while Darren Raddysh provided the clubs lone goal and rookie Gavin McKenna flashed the sort of playmaking that can stand out even in a preseason setting.
For a Leafs team still sorting through early impressions, the point was less about the results than the signs underneath them. Matthews pace was the biggest takeaway, and McKennas creativity offered another encouraging note, even with a penalty mixed in. It was the kind of evaluative night that leaves the standings untouched but gives the coaching staff and the fan base a little more to chew on. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fringe Forward Made An Early Statement In Montreal
Michael Pezzetta wasted little time making his presence felt in Montreal while skating with the Maple Leafs B-team. In a game featuring fringe players and prospects because Torontos main roster was elsewhere, Pezzetta dropped the gloves with Canadiens player Lucas Condotta and was ejected afterward, a flashpoint that fit the tone of a matchup built more on auditions and edge than star power.
The scuffling did not stop there, either. Shortly after Pezzettas fight, teammate Teddy Blueger also got into one in the same game, adding another layer of nastiness to a night that already had a distinctly old-school feel. For Leafs players trying to leave a mark with limited opportunities, these are the kinds of moments that can matter just as much as any shift in the offensive zone. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews Just Sent A Clear Message About Torontos New Goalie
Auston Matthews made his return in the first game since knee surgery and, while he chipped in an assist and looked like he was easing back into the flow, the bigger takeaway for the Maple Leafs may have been what he had to say about Sergei Bobrovsky. Matthews praised the veteran goaltenders professionalism and the way he has already fit in as a new teammate, a notable endorsement as Toronto brings in a fresh face to anchor a position that always carries outsized attention.
Bobrovsky arrived in Toronto this offseason and is expected to handle the starting job, with Anthony Stolarz backing him up. For a team with big expectations again, having Matthews speak so positively about the new goalie matters almost as much as the move itself, because the Leafs are counting on Bobrovsky not just for saves, but for the kind of steady presence that can settle things down quickly in a room that knows every shift gets scrutinized. [Read more 🡒]