‘Big-time player’ McKenna helps Maple Leafs snap skid

TORONTO — The recreation was deadlocked with lower than 16 minutes to go when the youngest participant within the barn took a go from Auston Matthews on his backhand together with his again to the web.

One swift inside pivot inside, three fast stickhandles and a fast low-glove flick later, Gavin McKenna scored the game-winner. The skid snapper, head up the entire whereas.

Then the slight teenager within the skinny neckguard reduce to the slot, glided on one knee and windmilled an emphatic fist pump, punctuating what felt like an important victory of this younger season and an excellent youthful profession.

“Pretty fired up. You know, it’s a hard league to score in. So, when you get to put one in the back of the net, it feels pretty good,” McKenna smiled after the Toronto Maple Leafs’ particular groups powered a 3-1 comeback win over the San Jose Sharks Monday. 

McKenna has simply three profession objectives however has already popularized his personal celebration as he goes by means of the road: a straight biceps, a hinged elbow and a jaunty bobbing fist.

“That started during training camp, and it’s caught on pretty well,” McKenna stated. 

You can rely the NHL video games this child has performed in your palms, however he acts like he’s been right here without end. Not in contrast to his first purpose, his third got here when the Leafs had been begging for one.

“He’s just not afraid of the moment. He enjoys the moment. You saw his celebration, and you could say, ‘Yeah, well, shouldn’t everybody do that?’ There’s lots there. And you have to want to be that big-time player, and that’s what he has in spades,” coach Jim Hiller stated.

“This high-prospect and this high-skill (reputation), he’s worn that for years. And he’s just really comfortable with it.”

Veteran teammate Troy Stecher has shared a sheet with just a few phenoms in his day. It’s McKenna’s beyond-his-years assuredness that strikes him. Stecher believes that’s a obligatory ingredient for achievement. Don’t defer.

“You look at him: 150 pounds soaking wet. So, he’s gonna fill out. You see how good he is at this age, with the stature he has, it’s pretty impressive. Everybody in the room has been very impressed by how he conducts himself on a daily basis, the work that he puts in throughout practice, and working on his little individual skills with Auston on the side before and after practice. So, he’s learned how to be a pro’s pro before becoming a pro,” stated Stecher, who explains why so many Leafs teammates inspired the freshman after Thursday’s controversial benching.

“What all people in the entire world forgets, besides whenever you play within the NHL, is that each single man was a Gavin McKenna earlier than they reached the NHL. I ran an influence play at North Dakota and received a nationwide championship. I do not assume all people would have a look at Troy Stecher like, ‘Oh, that’s a PP defenceman.’ You know what I imply? 

“Everybody within the league has had success at being a prime canine someplace, and that is simply the way in which it goes within the NHL. Sometimes your quantity’s not going to get known as, and it is the way you reply.

“I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled as an individual player. He was probably pissed off, which anybody would be. They want to be on the ice. He’s got a lot of hockey ahead of him. It’s just kind of one of those growing experiences, I guess. But I think he handled it very well, and he’s going to continue to get better and better and better.”

McKenna equates clutch to confidence, and the Leafs’ energy play has remained deadly when McKenna has subbed in for landlord John Tavares.

“You want to be a guy who’s known for those big moments. When you get that time and an opportunity to be out there on the ice, you want to make the most out of it,” McKenna stated.

“So, when you’re playing with guys like Auston, Willy, and those guys, I think it just brings confidence in itself. For me, that’s something I’ve taken a lot of passion in — trying to be known as a guy who’s able to perform in those situations.”

Were it not for Sergei Bobrovsky’s goaltending, Toronto’s opportunistic energy play and excellent 4-for-4 penalty kill, which has now snuffed 21 straight, this evening might have ended in another way. 

San Jose tilted the ice at even-strength and jumped to an early lead when a Matthews D-zone turnover ended up on Mason Marchment’s stick within the slot and behind Bobrovsky.

“It’s on me,” Matthews owned. “Just flush it and move on and focus on the next shift, as hard as that can be sometimes. I mean, just got to play. Mistakes are going to happen, and try to get it back for the team.”

Matthews tied the sport late within the second interval, set McKenna up for the winner, then assisted on Nick Paul’s empty-net insurance coverage. The captain is now tied with Nathan MacKinnon for third in league scoring (16 factors).

Better nonetheless, he challenged his teammates to carry some emotion, then backed it up with a three-point effort.

“That’s just top to bottom. You know, it’s a hard game. Really good, young, skilled team (in San Jose), and I just thought all facets of the game we were really solid,” Matthews stated. 

“We had to be gutsy to win that game,” Hiller added.

Gutsiness will probably be required once more in lower than 24 hours, because the Maple Leafs hopped on a post-win constitution certain for Ohio, the place they’ll face Matthew Knies and the Blue Jackets Tuesday.

Anthony Stolarz will get the beginning for Kirill Marchenko’s first assembly in opposition to the crew he requested to be traded from.

Marchenko stated he wasn’t positive what to anticipate from the followers who used to cheer him or how he’ll really feel when he walks into the guests’ room at Nationwide Arena.

“I’ll be ready for this game, for sure. It’ll be special night,” the Russian said. “It was good time there, but now it’s new step.”

From McKenna’s money-in-the-bank efficiency to a money-on-the-board revenge recreation.

“He’s an awesome dude,” McKenna stated of Marchenko. “Doesn’t know quite a lot of English, however he is gelled nicely on this locker room. So, whenever you acquired a man like that, you wish to struggle for him. 

“On the ice, his performance has been awesome. And obviously this is a big one for him, and we’re all doing it for him.”

Spoken like a professional’s professional.

• McKenna’s stat line: one game-winning purpose on one shot, even, two giveaways, 11:30.

Stenberg’s stat line: one shot, 0-for-2 faceoffs, minus-1, two giveaways, 14:27.

“I was pretty sure I would not go first overall,” Stenberg informed The Mercury News forward of the one-two showdown. “I didn’t have good conferences with Toronto and didn’t really feel prefer it was the crew for me.

“You kind of feel when a team wants you or not, or how interested they are. You get a feeling, and I think that feeling was pretty (accurate).”

• Bit of a curveball to see Easton Cowan promoted to Matthews’ wing, because the sophomore didn’t take reps with that line at morning skate.

Cowan ranks third on the crew with six even-strength factors, behind solely Matthews and Nylander. 

Hiller acknowledged that he would lean on the 21-year-old much more with John Tavares injured. The coach believes the McKenna hype practice has allowed Cowan’s progress to fly underneath the radar.

“Maybe that’s helped him,” Hiller wonders. “He’s getting all situations, and he’s earned them. And I’ll inform you about him. I talked to him this summer time after which in coaching camp and I stated, ‘Are you ready?’ And he stated, ‘Yes, I’m prepared for this. 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.”

• Interesting Twitter remark from Nikita Zadorov’s agent, Dan Milstein, relating to the bruising defenceman’s current wholesome scratch in Boston:

Milstein represents three gamers in Toronto, most notably Kirill Marchenko, whose trade-and-sign out of Columbus he helped facilitate. 

Could the Leafs use a nasty, six-foot-five, 230-pound blueliner? No doubt. Former GM Brad Treliving tried to accumulate Zadorov when he was in Calgary.

But Zadorov, 31, is signed by means of 2029-30 with the Bruins at a $5-million cap hit, and we are able to’t see Boston being all too wanting to eliminate him. 

For now, we’re chalking this as much as a vocal agent publicly backing a shopper who was dissatisfied with a scratch.

• Matthews’ scouting report on fellow first-overall draftee Celebrini: “Just gets better and better every year. His IQ stands out. The pace of play that he plays with and very competitive on pucks. He’s strong in battles. He comes out of those 50/50 battles with the puck most of the time, and that’s kind of just stuff you can’t really teach. I think it’s like a mindset, and he’s definitely got it.”

• Oakville’s personal Michael Misa, 2025’s second-overall decide, was jacked as much as play his first recreation at Scotiabank Arena.

“It’s pretty surreal just going on the ice for morning skate and looking around,” the 19-year-old stated. “Cool to be back and looking at the seats I used to sit in when I’d come to watch the games. It’s a pretty surreal feeling.”

Misa invited some 20 Toronto-based family and friends members to root on the Sharks.

“I’m paying,” he admitted. “But I only see them one time a year, so thought it was the right thing to do.”