Ahead of Tuesday’s game in Utah, Jim Hiller had a lot to unpack, but the clearest call he made was the easiest one: John Tavares is back on the top power-play unit.
The decision came after a good night for the power play on Saturday, and Hiller didn’t spend much time weighing the alternatives.
“Gavin did a good job. Just like other situations in the game, Gavin will get put in and then pulled back a little bit.
We’re talking about John Tavares. It’s a pretty easy decision to get John back in there.
He’s had a great career. He’s still a great goal scorer.
That wasn’t a hard one at all.”
Hiller also pointed to the way the team has had to absorb Chris Tanev’s absence, with others needing to take on more than usual. Darren Raddysh, he said, has handled heavier defensive minutes well even if that isn’t the role the team wants to lean on every night.
“Everybody’s going to have to do a little bit more in his absence, right? That’s not necessarily the role we want him to do, to give those heavy defensive minutes, but he’s shown he can handle them.”
That same theme carries over to OEL, who Hiller said hasn’t played as much as the club needs and will get more tonight.
“There’ll be some other guys. OEL, we probably haven’t played as much as we need to.
He’s going to get a little more tonight. He’s healthy and ready to go, so we’re going to have to lean on him big time.”
When asked what he likes about Ekman-Larsson, Hiller highlighted the full package: intensity, physical play, puck movement, and a little offense.
“I’ve watched him lots over his career. He’s got good intensity, physical in battles.
I think that’s when he’s playing his best. He moves the puck and gives you a little bit of offense, too.
He’s just a solid all-around player, and he’s going to have to step up in the absence.”
The penalty kill has been off to the kind of start teams dream about, sitting first in the league, and Hiller said the reasons are spread across the roster. It begins in net, but it doesn’t stop there.
“That’s collective. It always starts with the goaltenders. Our goalies have been really sharp there, but we’ve had guys blocking shots and winning faceoffs.
The D have done a nice job not giving up a lot of little rebounds or plays in tight. They’ve had some looks from outside, but none of those little tap-ins, cross-creasers. They’ve done a nice job there.
But that’s a collective effort. That’s everybody who’s on the ice when you’re on the PK.”
He also opened up a bit on Anthony Stolarz, who will start tonight. Hiller described him as relaxed and upbeat, which he sees as a useful trait in goal.
“I like his personality. That’s the one thing.
Just a happy-go-lucky guy. That’s important for a goaltender sometimes, not to be too tight.
He seems like he’s a pretty relaxed guy.
The obvious: He’s massive in the net. He’s done a good job so far, just like Bob.”
Asked whether Stolarz had always been scheduled to play, Hiller didn’t exactly give a straight line at first, then confirmed it.
“You’re assuming?
I didn’t tell you last time, and it worked out all right. You know how coaches are. But I’ll let you know he is starting tonight, just so you know we’re not that superstitious.”
There’s still work to do for Kirill Marchenko, who Hiller said is adjusting to a different kind of role than he had in Columbus. The looks have been there, but the finish hasn’t.
“It’s a little bit different for him. In Columbus, he was relied upon to provide a lot of offense, and he’s certainly going to be relied upon for that here.
But there are other players that can be spread around. He’s just kind of finding his way there right now.
Listen, we all know he’s had a lot of looks. The puck hasn’t gone in for him. He’s still made some plays on the power play.
He probably wants to get going a little better than he has, but we’ve got plenty of patience for him. We love the player, great personality, and it’ll be just fine.”
As for whether Marchenko and Auston Matthews are developing chemistry, Hiller said it’s been a work in progress.
“The very first game was when we saw the most chemistry, right? It’s funny how it works.
It just takes time. But he and Auston will be good together.”
And on how he wants the puck moving through the neutral zone around Matthews, Hiller kept it simple.
“I want anybody to carry it through the neutral zone. It doesn’t matter to me.
Somebody’s got to carry it through the neutral zone. Whoever’s open, usually that’s the way it works.
Whoever’s got space and is open is going to be the guy carrying it. We certainly wouldn’t designate somebody to do it and somebody not to do it.”
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