After Friday’s practice, Jim Hiller discussed the Tavares line’s play, keeping Easton Cowan’s line together, Kirill Marchenko’s first practice, the power play’s need to shoot more, and the chemistry between Morgan Rielly and Darren Raddysh.
Where are you at with the Tavares line moving into the next game? What do you want to see for them to set up shop more in the O-zone?
Hiller: It’s interesting. I’ve talked to all three of them separately, and all three of them have the right answer. They didn’t even need my thoughts on it. They’ve got to get the pucks a little deeper at certain times and play a little bit more in the O-zone. I think that’s the big solution.
Easton Cowan is off to a great start. Are you tempted to bump him up or get him more shifts? How are you approaching managing that?
Hiller: We really like the line. Sometimes you can overthink things and change everything around, or you just say, “You know what? They’re good, so let’s just keep them together.” Good start for them, but again, it’s early for everybody. We’ll just give them another run and see where we look.
What was this first practice like with Kirill Marchenko after the week he’s had?
Hiller: It was really good. I think he enjoyed it. I talked to him after. He was really happy to get it. I think I told you guys: I get the sense from him that he really loves hockey. He wants to be on the ice all the time. He loves practice. There is a little bit less pressure when you’re practicing with your linemates. They’re going to have to find a little more chemistry. I think they were able to accomplish that today.
Marchenko was saying he’s not used to the bumper spot on the power play. How much will practice help that top unit as they try to build some chemistry?
Hiller: That’s just it. There are new players in new spots, so as much as we can work on it, we’ll do that.
I thought they were a little bit more dangerous today. Generally, what I’ve seen is maybe too much trying to make the next play, trying to make that next pass. There’s lots of skill, but I think you’ve got to be a little bit more direct, and then use your skill from there and create a little more chaos.
Marchenko is a right-handed shot on the left side, and he seems fine with it. As a coach, do you prefer lefties on the left side and righties on the right side?
Hiller: No, I actually prefer the players on their off hands. Not all of them like to play that way, but the ones that do, I think, have a lot of success. You look at a lot of the wingers, and some of the offensive guys play their off hands. He’s played left wing before plenty, Kirill, so he’s really comfortable there.
What does that allow for when you’ve got a winger playing his off side?
Hiller: There are two things. Everybody’s so aggressive with pinching now on the walls. You can protect the puck a little bit better. You don’t expose it as much. The obvious one is when you come in over the blue line with a little bit of time and space. It’s easier to cut in on your forehand and be a threat to shoot into the middle.
Following up on your power-play comment, when you have guys like Matthews and Raddysh with big bombs, would you like to see them shoot a little more instead of looking for that play?
Hiller: That’s just it. I think Marchenko’s got a bomb from the middle, too. Willy’s got a bomb from the other side. There’s lots there. I think right now, we’ve deferred a little bit to finding the perfect play, and nobody wants to be “selfish.” But I think we have to shoot the puck.
What do you think tomorrow will mean for Daniel Alfredsson? How much have you used him as a resource, considering his Ottawa background?
Hiller: We had one in the preseason, so we talked a little bit about that. It’s going to be a big night. Let’s be honest.
I loved the ovation he got in the starting lineup from the Leafs fans. There was some talk: “Hey, what’s it going to be like?” I thought it was tremendous.
Obviously, days have gone by as a player. Now he’s one of our coaches and has full support from Leafs Nation.
Nylander didn’t see the ice after the shorthanded goal. Was that game management, going with defensive guys, or a chance to send a message early on?
Hiller: No, mostly, at that point, I think we’ll see Willy five versus six at different times, and that game wasn’t one of them.
The pairing of Rielly and Raddysh isn’t exactly how coaches would draw up pairs. What have you liked about the two of them from game one to game two?
Hiller: I thought they were better in game two. It’s just going to take time.
As you said, they’re both a little bit offensive—defensemen who typically wouldn’t play together. To get a little chemistry between them and find out who’s covering who and at what moment, I thought game two was better.
Again, right now, nothing’s set in stone. We’re just getting off to the races here, but we liked what they did the second night.
