After a 4-1 loss to the Islanders, head coach Jim Hiller discussed his team’s slow night offensively, the team’s spirit after a third consecutive loss, Gavin McKenna’s performance, and the latest on Chris Tanev’s status.
Hiller on the Leafs’ inability to generate enough offensively:
They played a good game. It didn’t surprise us at all. In a game like that, you’ve got Sorokin in goal. You’ve got some big, strong defensemen. You’ve got to get inside, and you’ve got to get some pucks around there and try to create some chaos.
We did it two or three times. One was a goal. One was a really good chance on the deflection from Raddysh, and we didn’t do it after that. We just didn’t do it enough.
You’re not going to score on the perimeter against this team.
We had some of those [perimeter looks], and then at other times, we jammed it in with our forwards without turning up and using our D, trying to just crash the net. I don’t think our D had many looks tonight, and there was nothing inside.
Hiller on whether the loss was more disappointing given the Islanders were shorthanded after the first period:
I mean, that can be part of the story. It’s just disappointing. I don’t think it makes it more disappointing. It’s just disappointing.
They could have their full lineup in there, and our lack of fortitude to get to the inside makes it disappointing in any case.
Hiller on why the Leafs struggled to get to the inside:
I don’t know. It’s a good question, right?
We came out in the third period. We scored right away doing just exactly that. There was nothing fancy about the goal.
I would give them credit. They played their game to a T. I thought their defensemen did a really good job in the corners, squishing us and being tight, and not allowing us to come out of the corner with the puck, too.
There’s some of that, but just not good enough from us.
Hiller on the spirit of the group amid injuries and three consecutive losses:
I thought we were really good this morning. We had a lively, energetic, kind of passionate skate this morning, and it just didn’t translate. I think the spirit’s fine, but we want to win some games, let’s be honest.
Hiller on the sense of urgency required to turn things around on Monday:
It’s a long season, so I try not to get into that.
I have a sense of urgency every game. If we had won three in a row, you could ask me the same question and say, “What’s the sense of urgency to win four?” And I would say it’s the exact same thing it is for Monday.
That’s just the way I look at it.
Hiller on Sergei Bobrovsky’s performance to start the season:
He’s been good. He’s been good.
We’ve got to score some more goals for him. I think if you look at a lot of his starts, we haven’t scored many goals. Not enough goals, anyways.
Hiller on Gavin McKenna’s response tonight:
It was good. He was skating.
He just, like everybody else, had a hard time getting too much done.
Hiller on Chris Tanev skating in the morning and whether there is an update on his recovery:
No update. But I think anytime you see a guy on the ice, it’s positive. There’s no question. But I don’t have any update.
