Ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Islanders, Jim Hiller spent a good portion of his availability laying out where his team stands on a few key fronts: Gavin McKenna’s defensive work, John Tavares’ injury, Easton Cowan’s expanded role, and what has to change when the game is in hand.
McKenna was the first topic to draw Hiller in. Asked about the conversation he had with the young forward after the Buffalo game, Hiller said it was in line with the kind of relationship they’ve had since he arrived.
“It was a good conversation, like Gavin and I have had since I’ve met him. He’s a really interesting guy.
I just love his personality. He’s got great confidence.
He knows how good he is. He knows how great he’s going to be.
We just had another good conversation.”
Hiller was also asked about his remark after that game that McKenna should’ve been out there in the third period. He downplayed the idea that he was making a major scene of it, but said he had considered getting McKenna back into the game and went another way instead.
“I don’t know if I was that dramatic,” Hiller said.
He added that the decision was influenced by how long McKenna had already sat afterward.
“I had a couple of opportunities to do that and thought about it, for sure. In that moment, I made a decision to go a different direction for different reasons.
Then, like I said, now he’s sat forever. Didn’t want to put him in a bad spot after that.”
On McKenna’s play without the puck, Hiller pointed to usage as the clearest sign of where his trust level stands.
“I would look at his ice time up until the last game, and I would use that as a bit of an indicator. I think he’s played quite a bit.”
He added that the issue isn’t isolated to McKenna.
“It’s not only him. Every player has got to get a little bit better on our team without the puck.
I think we’re pretty good with it. That’s something we address daily with our entire team.”
Hiller then shifted to the injury situation, with Tavares now week-to-week. He called it a tough loss, especially coming right after Tanny’s absence.
“John was playing well, too. That’s a tough one for us, just on the heels of Tanny, too. Those are two veteran players, and we’ve just got to find a way.”
He also singled out Easton Cowan for his work in the last game and said the team may need more from him.
“I thought Easton Cowan played extremely well in that last game. We got on our heels a little bit in the third period.
We didn’t like the result, but Cowboy was the one guy in the third period who I thought had a lot of energy, was still F1 on the forecheck, and created a little bit. We’ll probably end up leaning on him just a little more.”
When asked if Tavares’ timeline was more long-term than a matter of days, Hiller stuck with the original label.
“Week-to-week. Whatever that means.
I don’t know. Hopefully, that means two.
Week-to-week sounds like at least two, by my math.”
Nick Paul also came up, with Paul saying he believes he can offer more than he has so far. Hiller didn’t sound overly concerned, noting the work Paul does away from the spotlight.
“He might be being a little bit hard on himself. He’s one of those guys who does so many things that don’t necessarily end up on the scoresheet: faceoffs, the penalty kill, forecheck. There are a lot of won battles on the walls and in the D zone.”
“I’m happy he has high expectations for his game, but he provides a lot for us in a lot of different areas. Him and Sissons are very similar that way.”
The bigger team-wide concern, though, was what happens when the group is trying to close out a game. Hiller said his team needs to be more assertive in those situations.
“First of all, it’s nice to get some. We’ve had to chase from behind before, too.
We just weren’t on our toes enough. We’ll take that as a lesson learned, I hope, as a new team in a third period like that. I hope the next time we’re in that situation, you’ll see us be a little bit more aggressive.”
Asked whether fatigue played a part at the end of the game after the trip, Hiller didn’t want to go there.
“I don’t want to look at that. You guys can do the math on the schedule, the travel, and all that.
For me, that’s a game we’ve got to close out, and we’ve got to play better in the third period. We didn’t really give up that much, but they found the back of the net on some good looks. That’s just on us.”
Hiller also discussed Groulx’s place in the lineup and what he wants from him in a slightly bigger role. He said Groulx has been steady, while also noting that the role is still new for him there.
“He’s been solid enough. He hasn’t typically been a fourth-line player. That’s been his role so far here.
In the American League, he had a terrific season. He helped lead them to the Calder Cup.
We’re hoping tonight, with a little bit of an elevated role-he’s on the power play-to get him in his groove where he played so well at the end of last year with the Marlies. It’s up to him to respond to that.”
On the defensive side, Hiller said the team felt better about its tracking against Buffalo and the Islanders than it had in some earlier games.
“I thought we tracked pretty well, but I thought we tracked pretty well against Buffalo as well.
We got away from that a little bit in Vegas, Colorado, and Utah. We gave up some rush chances. You guys saw that.
We wanted to get back to tracking, which is what we were doing really well, helping our D a little bit more with our forwards. I mentioned that in the morning. I thought we did a really good job of that.
That’s an important element. Whoever we’re playing, that’s a real focus for us.”
Cowan’s role kept growing as the conversation went on, and Hiller said the youngster is now being used in just about every situation.
“Now he’s on the power play. Let’s not forget, he’s just a young player here, too.
I know we talk about Gavin a lot because of his age, but Easton’s also [a young player]. Maybe that’s helped him.
He’s kind of under the radar a little bit.
He’s now on the penalty kill. He’s on the power play.
I think he went out in three-on-three, four-on-four. He’s getting all scenarios, and he’s earned them.”
Hiller ended with a story from earlier conversations that seemed to sum up Cowan’s mindset.
“I’ll tell you about him. I talked to him this summer and then in training camp, and I said, ‘Are you ready?
Can you do that?’ He said, ‘Yes, I’m ready for this.
I can do this.’
‘Can you do that?’ ‘Yes, I can do that.’
He has answered the bell at every turn. It’s just great to see, and we’ll see where he goes.”
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