After a 6-1 win over the Senators in the final exhibition game, Jim Hiller discussed the team at large and Gavin McKenna’s improvement in his second preseason game, Easton Cowan’s versatility, and the performance of Sergei Bobrovsky in net.
Can you tell us what happened to Nick Paul?
Hiller: We’ll know more tomorrow. I don’t think it’s too serious. I talked to him after, but we’ll know a little bit more tomorrow.
What is your biggest takeaway from a game like that? What do you and your coaching staff look at?
Hiller: I’ve talked to you a little bit about trying to build a foundation first. To me, Auston set the tone. I think on his first two shifts, he tracked back and lifted sticks. He tracked back on the goal. [Oliver Ekman-Larsson] is able to stand up because Auston is working out of the offensive zone, back through the neutral zone, and we transition and end up scoring the first goal.
It wasn’t just him, but he set the tone for us. Into the third period, you guys all saw it when he came out and lifted a stick in the neutral zone. It wasn’t just him. I thought he set the tone, and I thought we did that as well as we’ve done it so far since we started.
What advancements did you see in Gavin McKenna’s game from his first game to tonight?
Hiller: I think we all saw that, didn’t we? He was pretty calm and relaxed. We talked about that after the last game. There were some things where he felt like, “I didn’t quite do this.” It’s going to be a process for him to understand and adapt. It was pretty encouraging to come back from game one and show us what he did tonight.
McKenna had an adjustment last year, going from junior hockey to college hockey. It looks like the adjustment from college to the NHL might be smoother for him. Would you agree?
Hiller: He’s doing really well. He’s played two exhibition games and was tremendous tonight. He’s doing really well. But it’s a long, hard season, so I’m going to reserve judgment on that. I didn’t watch him much last year. That was other people’s job, not mine. We’re just really happy with what he’s done here to start camp.
We saw a taste of how McKenna can draw penalties tonight. If he keeps his feet moving like that, could it be an advantage for a team that didn’t draw as many power plays as other clubs last year?
Hiller: He’s a hard guy to contain. If you asked me — nobody did, I guess, but I’ll tell you my opinion anyway — what is the one part of his game that has caught me off guard, I’d say his skating and his speed. I don’t know if he was talked about that way, but his skating and straightaway speed have been really good. Of course, we know he has great agility, but that’s the thing that has jumped out at me so far.
With young players of his calibre, there’s often a moment when they discover how much time and space they have once the game starts. Is that something he’ll only learn by playing, or is it something you’re helping him with?
Hiller: I would say a couple of things. I don’t know what the percentage would be that will be him. To me, that was the biggest thing. He turned up a few times against Montreal and lost the puck because somebody was there really quickly. Tonight, the encouraging part was that, game over game, he was able to create a little more space for himself. It was almost like he made that adjustment naturally.
I know he lives with John Tavares. I talked to John, and they talked quite a bit on the way home after the last game about what it was like. He has a great mentor in John, but I know he talks to Willy, too. He talks to Auston. There are lots of guys, so it’s probably going to be a group effort.
The other part of it — and we can talk about his skill — is that he was on the forecheck tonight. He wasn’t really in the offensive zone much last game. He was on the forecheck tonight and on the track again. It seems to me that he’s adjusting pretty well to the game without the puck, too.
He made a lot of plays in the defensive zone that helped you transition to offense. Was that an adjustment you saw him make?
Hiller: I don’t know that he made an adjustment. I just think it’s the whole time-and-space thing. The game is different, and you just have to see how it works. I think he’s done a good job of that from game one to game two of the preseason.
You had Easton Cowan killing penalties. What do you like about his game that allows you to trust him in that role?
Hiller: I think he’s just going to be that guy. That’s what we all hope he turns into: a guy who plays on the power play, plays on the penalty kill, can play in your top six, can play on your checking line, and push good teams back. We’ve talked about that.
I’m not saying he’s going to be out on the penalty kill to start the season, but we wanted to give him a good run. He showed us that he’s got a lot there to his game.
What did you think of Matthew Knies’ camp and preseason?
Hiller: I thought he was better tonight. He wasn’t that dangerous. I think he only ended up with one shot on goal and took one to the net. I think he’s been okay. I wouldn’t say strongly one way or the other. I think there’s more there, for sure.
Your goaltender showed you exactly what you know he’s capable of. He made a couple of key saves, including that glove save late.
Hiller: He really did. I think Pinto got the one-timer earlier in the game, in the second period on their power play. He made a great save through a screen on that one. And then, what can you say about the last one? As much fun as it is to see great goals, hits, fights, and all that other stuff, every time you see one of those, it’s a special moment, isn’t it?
What did Zack MacEwen show you tonight?
Hiller: Well, a couple of things. He was good on the forecheck. He gets pucks in, skates well for a big man, and finishes his checks. That’s what we need from him. If it gets rough or somebody is trying to take liberties, that’s also part of his job. I thought he did both things really well tonight.
