After a 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, head caoch Jim Hiller discussed his team’s struggles under the Sabres’ late push, Gavin McKenna sitting for the second half of the game, Kirill Marchenko’s scoring breakout, and his familiarity with newly acquired Aatu Räty.
Hiller on the game getting away from the Leafs after leading 4-2:
At the 11-, 12-minute mark (in the third period), they just started coming, and we didn’t have an answer. We made some mistakes in those moments.
I know it’s hard when you’re on your heels, but you just have to be able to have a little poise and somebody to make a play. Give them credit. They put us on our heels, and we just couldn’t make two plays in a row. Consequently, we got what we got.
Hiller on the team’s defensive-zone struggles:
It seems like that more so over the last three or four games than the first home stretch, I would say.
Sometimes, good players can do that to you. They can get some separation, and then it makes it look difficult. But we’ve got to be better there. There’s no question.
Hiller on why McKenna sat for the second half of the game:
That was my decision.
We went for a stretch—I think we had those penalties. I wanted to get him out there. He sat through those penalties, and then I didn’t get him out there through that stretch.
The last few minutes of the period, we’re just trying to get out of the period, I guess you would say. Now I’ve sat him for so long, and he sits in the intermission.
I probably should’ve gotten him out there early in the third. I didn’t, so I’ll talk to him about that.
Hiller on whether he spoke to McKenna about the decision:
Yeah, I’ll talk to him for sure, but I haven’t talked to him yet.
Hiller on McKenna’s game before he sat:
It was okay. It was fine.
Again, the big thing is the penalties. He doesn’t get to play. We get into the thing, and now, he hasn’t played for 30-some-odd minutes.
We talked about getting him out in the third, and then I guess it just didn’t happen. That’s on me. Once we got into that stage, I said, “I’m not going to put him out there now. I’ve sat him there for 30 minutes. It’s not fair to him.”
Hiller on whether sitting McKenna for so long could affect his confidence:
I’ll talk to him. You’re always worried, but you guys have talked to him. I’ve said this before. I’ve talked to Gavin. Very, very mature. Lets stuff roll off him. Doesn’t take anything too personally. That’s what I’ve gotten from him.
He’s usually ready to go. There have been other times I haven’t played him as much and put him in there and double-shifted him and those kinds of things, and he’s responded.
I’ll talk to him, but I don’t have a big concern about that.
Hiller on whether Marchenko’s performance was what the Leafs envisioned when acquiring him:
It is, obviously. Those were big-time goals, right? Two of them, for sure. The other one was just a great play by Sissons.
He’s got that dynamicism, for sure, and we’re going to need that. You knew it was going to come sooner or later, right? You can’t be that talented and not score. It’s going to come like we saw tonight.
Hiller on how he can coach the team to show poise and make plays under pressure:
I guess it’s difficult. It happens sometimes. You wish it didn’t. It’s happened to us in the second period at different times this year. It’s happened to other teams at different times. I’m sure we’ve done it to other teams.
In that moment, when it’s going against you, you’ve just got to find a way. Really, it’s not one play. Sometimes, it’s two plays in a row because one play doesn’t get you too far. Two plays in a row get you up the ice, and we had a difficult time making two in a row.
Hiller on his familiarity with new Leaf/Marlie Aatu Räty:
I was with the Islanders when we drafted him, so I had him in a training camp and really liked him. Had really good hockey sense. Really, really nice kid back then. He had made a really good impression on me, I remember.
