The Maple Leafs walked into what looked like a comfortable night against the Buffalo Sabres and somehow walked out with a mess.
What had been a promising start to their three-game homestand turned into a 5-4 overtime collapse, and the final stretch of the game left one storyline towering over everything else: Jim Hiller barely used Gavin McKenna when the Leafs were trying to protect a lead.
Toronto had built a two-goal cushion entering the third period, boosted by a breakout showing from trade pickup Kirill Marchenko. But once John Tavares went down injured, Hiller leaned hard on a handful of bottom-six forwards and kept McKenna glued to the bench. Afterward, the focus shifted from the blown lead to the bigger question of what that decision means for the rookie.
Hiller took responsibility after the game, but the optics are ugly. It wasn’t just that McKenna sat during a critical divisional matchup. It was that he sat while the game slipped away, with no obvious sign that he had done anything to deserve it.
Justin Bourne zeroed in on that point Friday on Real Kyper and Bourne. “It's game eight.
You're up 4-2 at home. If you can't give him experience in those moments because you're worried.
Now's the time to do it. Get him out there to see how he performs.
That's the perfect time to do it,” said Bourne.
Bourne’s bigger concern was the message that benching sends. If McKenna hadn’t made a mistake or ignored coaching, then the decision can only read one way.
Bourne said, “That, to me, is the worst message of all to a kid in game eight of his career. 'We just don't trust you.'
And I don't think he's earned that slap in the face yet,” Bourne commented.
That’s what makes this more than a one-night coaching choice. McKenna had been trending the right way after a slow start, posting five points in four games, including two highlight-worthy goals before the Sabres game. He was getting more comfortable making plays and had already earned time on the Leafs’ top power-play unit.
Instead, the momentum he had built over those four games got wiped out by a long stretch on the bench in a game that turned into a bad loss. For a young player who carries himself with real belief, that kind of treatment lands hard.
Now the burden shifts back to Hiller. With Tavares likely out because of the injury, the Leafs have a clean chance to repair the damage when they face the New York Islanders next.
That means more even-strength minutes for McKenna and a bigger role on the first power-play unit. Anything less would keep this from being a one-game issue and turn it into a far more dangerous one.
In Other News...
Oilers Linked To A Top-Six Target They May Struggle To Land
Kirill Marchenko gave the Maple Leafs a jolt with a hat trick in a game that still slipped away in overtime after Toronto blew a lead. It was the kind of night that can leave a team with mixed emotions: plenty of offense, but not enough finishing when it mattered most. For a club still trying to sort out its identity, the performance offered both a glimpse of what the lineup can do and a reminder of how fragile a win can be.
The Leafs also had to navigate a more concerning moment when John Tavares exited in the third period after an awkward collision with Josh Norris. Jim Hiller had no update afterward, leaving Toronto with more questions than answers as it heads into the next stretch. Even on a night when Marchenkos scoring stood out, the bigger concern may be whether the Leafs can quickly get clarity on Tavares and steady themselves before the details around his status become more than a subplot. [Read more 🡒]
Bruce Cassidy Keeps One Maple Leafs Question Very Much Alive
Bruce Cassidy has kept himself close to the game while leaving plenty of room for speculation about where he might land next. For now, he is working with Team Canadas womens team as it prepares for the IIHF World Championships, but his name still lingers in the background whenever the Maple Leafs coaching picture comes up. The interest cuts both ways, too, with Cassidy still looking to position himself for another NHL head coaching job.
The timing only adds to the intrigue around Toronto, where any hint of future coaching movement tends to draw attention quickly. Cassidy is under contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, even though he is not behind their bench, which leaves his status in an unusual spot as he waits for the right opening. For the Leafs, the question is less about whether a change could someday come and more about how long this kind of uncertainty might continue hanging over the franchise. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Tavares Problem They Can't Ignore
John Tavares left the Maple Leafs game against the Buffalo Sabres with a lower-body injury after a collision, and Toronto was left waiting for an update that never came. The timing could hardly be worse. With Max Domi also out, the Leafs suddenly found themselves without a dependable playmaking center, the kind of absence that ripples through both the top six and the power play.
For a team that leans on Tavares not just for offense but for face-offs and veteran steadiness, the concern goes beyond one game. Any lineup shuffle at this point has the feel of a stopgap, because Toronto is now having to consider how long it can function without one of its most trusted middlemen and what that does to the flow of its attack. [Read more 🡒]