Ahead of Saturday’s game against Edmonton, Jim Hiller wasn’t interested in dressing up the situation. The head coach said the club is still searching for the right mix in net, on special teams and in the room as it tries to shake off a rough stretch.
Anthony Stolarz gets the start tonight, and Hiller said the decision came after the usual internal process.
“Same things that go into every decision. Just some thought, some discussion, and then we make a decision.”
He also pointed to what he likes about Stolarz’s game right now, saying the goalie has been steady for a while.
“I think he’s been good for a long time. He’s big, with not a lot of rebounds. He played well against Edmonton last time, so there are different things.”
The conversation then turned to Sergei Bobrovsky, and Hiller pushed back on the idea that one player should shoulder the blame for the club’s issues.
“He’s had some really good games. He’s had some average games, like every player.
No different than forwards, defensemen, everybody else, the power play, or the penalty kill. You just keep working on areas of the game, and you try to get better.
That goes for everybody, though. We can’t look to one guy.
You can poke holes in our game in different areas and different players. Everybody’s trying to get better.”
When asked directly about the fanfare surrounding Bobrovsky’s contract and whether he has lived up to it, Hiller kept it pointed back on the team’s broader expectations.
“I guess that’s your evaluation. We continue to work with all our guys, support all our guys, and have high expectations. The expectations for every player are high, and they should be.”
Hiller also addressed the optional morning skate, explaining that the team wanted to manage energy and keep the focus on the night ahead.
“Certain guys want to do some different things. We had a good meeting, talked about some different stuff, and we’re trying to just come out with our best energy possible tonight. We know we’ll need it.”
That same night-to-night balancing act came up again when he was asked about Gavin McKenna, who played 10 minutes in the last game. Hiller said usage depends on the flow of each game and the player’s performance in that moment.
“That’s a good question, and it’s just a balancing act. Different nights, just like any other player, you’ve got a little bit more in your game and you’re having a good night.
You should probably play more, right? And then there are other circumstances where maybe you’re not going as well, or you’re trailing, or you’re leading.
There are a number of different variables that go into it, and it goes into it on a night-to-night basis.”
Hiller was less willing to revisit old ground when asked to compare the mood in Toronto with the one in Los Angeles. He shut that down quickly, then shifted to the current state of his own room.
“That’s in the past. I’m not going to go back there. I’m not going to go back and compare the two teams.”
What followed was a more revealing look at where his team stands now.
“What I would tell you is that we’ve had a rough patch, to put it mildly. Despite the circumstances and not feeling good about our results - and there’s no question we don’t feel good about that or very proud about that - we have a resilient group.
I think they have resolve. They’re upbeat based on the circumstances.”
“I think we’ve got a great mindset in the room. Sometimes it’s hard when you’re going through things like we’re going through right now.
But I don’t see that faltering. I see that as a positive for us right now, despite the circumstances.”
Hiller also spoke about Mike Babcock, making clear he still holds plenty of respect for the coach who gave him his NHL opportunity.
“I’ve said this: Babs gave me my chance. I was in junior hockey in the Western League.
We knew some common people. I hadn’t met Babs.
He gave me a chance. I interviewed with him, and he brought me to the NHL.
I’ll always remember that and respect him for that.”
He added that Edmonton’s success under Babcock hasn’t surprised him.
“I’m not surprised Edmonton’s doing so well with him leading the team. He’s a heck of a coach. That’s well documented.”
Asked if it amounts to a friendly rivalry and whether they still talk in the offseason, Hiller said the relationship remains intact.
“We talk. I don’t know if it’s every day or every month and stuff like that, but of course, we’ve kept a relationship.
We talk, and as I said, I’m not surprised he’s doing well. He’s got a great track record.
He’s been a great coach in the league for a long time.”
Hiller also touched on Chris Tanev and the team’s morning-skate routine, saying the decisions are not tied to one simple explanation.
“No, that’s not necessarily it. We’ve talked a lot about the plans.
There are all kinds of plans here, and I think maybe we spend a little bit too much time on that. Like anything, I guess we say ‘plan’ as a general term.
Everything is thought about daily. There are different circumstances that come up, and then you make decisions.
We all have plans in our lives, and rarely do they turn out the way we expect.”
Special teams remain a concern, especially the power play. Hiller said the group has lost some of the rhythm it had earlier in the year and needs to rediscover that edge.
“Power plays are usually generated in the O-zone, or penalties are usually generated in the O-zone, so that’s one, of course. Two, we haven’t had a rhythm as we had earlier in the year.
Clearly, we’re not as dangerous as we once were, and again, that’s the ebbs and flows of the season. But that was driving some wins for us early, and right now we could use a goal or two.”
“Our special teams were better early. Five-on-five is better now. We’ve got to get our special teams going, and that’ll turn the tide for us.”
Finally, Hiller said he and Steve Sullivan are aligned on the players coming up from the Marlies, including Ryan Tverberg and Cole McWard.
“Yeah. I think both those players are well coached.
They’re both contributing. Tverberg played quite a bit up with Nylander and Tavares.
He’s just a solid two-way player, as we talked about. He’s as expected.
McWard wasn’t with the organization, but we’ve been really pleasantly surprised with his game. He’s jumped right in and hasn’t looked out of place at all.”
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Names such as Cam York, Alexander Nikishin, Rasmus Sandin and Simon Edvinsson have surfaced as possible fits because of their age, contract situations and longer-term appeal. None of that means a deal is close, and the Leafs still have to find the right match if they want to turn interest into an actual upgrade, but the fact they are being linked to this tier of defender says plenty about how they view their next move. [Read more 🡒]
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Jim Hillers message afterward was clear enough: McKenna will have to prove he can be more than a scoring threat if he wants a larger role. The coach said the young forward needs to be a good all-around player and handle the grind of the season, which turns every shift into part of a bigger Leafs debate about how much responsibility he should be given right now. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Are Seeing Progress But One Problem Still Looms
A day away from the rink took the Maple Leafs into a different setting this week, with the club using the Blue Jays facilities as an off-ice workout stop designed to shake up the routine and give the group a little extra energy. Jim Hiller said the change of scenery can matter, especially when a team is trying to keep its legs and its focus sharp while working through the middle of the season grind.
Hiller also pointed to signs of progress in the Leafs recent play, even if the clean-up work is far from finished. Mistakes are still showing up, but the bigger message was about sustaining a positive culture and carrying that mindset into the next stretch of games, with the quality of the Blue Jays setup serving as a reminder that sometimes a different environment can help a team reset. [Read more 🡒]