Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna talks benching, Tavares damage

TORONTO — It’s been some time, however Gavin McKenna is making an attempt to concentrate on his subsequent shift.

Can the first-overall draft choose recall the final time he acquired stapled to the bench for greater than half a sport, as was the case in Thursday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres?

“Uhh… I can’t say it’s ever happened. So, that was a first,” McKenna conceded Saturday on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ morning skate.

The star rookie, who had entered Thursday’s motion on a four-game level streak, knew he wouldn’t be used within the second interval when Toronto needed to kill penalties.

But as soon as the PKers hopped off…

“At the end of the second, you think maybe you’d get a shift, but it didn’t come. And then you sit for a while and then get a little bit cold, and then obviously you’re hoping for a shift. But when it doesn’t come, I think you start to realize that you’re going to be watching a little bit. So, for me, honestly, sitting there watching, I tried to learn as much as I could,” McKenna defined of his weird benching by head coach Jim Hiller.

“Obviously, you want to play, but we had a good talk. We have a good relationship together, me and Jim. He said it had nothing to do with my play, which is nice to know. You know, doesn’t really take away from your confidence at all. So I appreciated him reaching out, and, I mean, I trust him. I trust the team. Trust what they want to do. So, I’m willing to play whatever role this team wants.”

Several Maple Leafs teammates approached McKenna and supplied encouragement relating to the incident, which helped ease the 18-year-old’s thoughts.

“They’re all behind me, and I’m behind all of them. So, they’ve had good talks with me, made me feel comfortable, and just told me to stay confident,” McKenna mentioned.

Hiller says he thought of calling No. 92 a pair instances within the third interval however determined in opposition to it, leaning heavy on his most defensively accountable forwards as a 4-2 lead blew up right into a 5-4 extra time loss. 

The coach mentioned he had a optimistic speak with McKenna to elucidate his resolution. 

“He’s a really interesting guy. I just love his personality. He’s got great confidence. He knows how good he is. He knows how great he’s going to be, and we just had another good conversation,” mentioned Hiller, who’s striving to tighten up his expert however porous group’s play defensively. 

“It’s not only (McKenna). Every player has got to get a little bit better on our team without the puck, I think we’re pretty good with it. So, that’s something we address daily with our entire team.”

It’s been a couple of years, however offensive stud William Nylander can relate to McKenna’s sinking feeling of getting benched as a Leaf.

“It’s never fun to be in that position. But sometimes it happens, and you just want to come back next game. I’m sure it wasn’t any purpose behind it,” Nylander mentioned. “Didn’t think he was playing bad or anything. But sometimes you get lost in the rotation or stuff. So, yeah, and I think he did a great job of handling it.”

McKenna will begin on Toronto’s third line Saturday in opposition to the Islanders and obtain a promotion to the highest power-play unit with John Tavares injured.

“I got big shoes to fill there. John, he’s one of the best guys down low. So, very smart hockey player and has played well on that power play,” McKenna mentioned.

“I’m just going to try and be confident and get some puck touches and get a feel for it. And being a net-front guy, you got to be first to those pucks in the corners. So, for me, trying to be as hard as I can, win pucks back, and just play my role.”

As for seeing his function diminished to below seven minutes Thursday?

“I’m just trying not to think about it at this point,” McKenna mentioned.

Leafs should ‘dig in’ with Tavares out weeks

The sturdy Tavares was the one Maple Leaf wholesome sufficient to play all 82 video games final season, however his robust begin — seven factors in seven video games — will now be derailed weeks with an undisclosed lower-body ailment.

“Hopefully” solely two weeks, in line with Hiller. But that sounds just like the minimal.

“John was playing well, too. That’s a tough one for us, just on the heels of Tanny too. So, those are two veteran players, and you just got to find a way,” Hiller mentioned.

Nick Paul will get the bump as much as second-line centre. 

“He’s been huge for our team, both on the ice and off the ice. Just an amazing character, and the way he plays both sides of the puck, and working his bag off every night, and obviously his size that he has out there,” mentioned Nylander, hopeful that Tavares’s absence will rally the group.

“One of the top players in the league for a long time. So, it’s tough to see that happen. Hopefully he’s back soon. But that’s where we got to dig in as a team and build some character out of this process.”

Colton Sissons, who prefers the center anyway, turns into the defensive conscience of the third line flanked by playmaker McKenna and Bo Groulx, who has had a rocky journey out and in of the fourth line.

“Colton and Bo both work their bags off. So I’m looking forward to getting into it with them and just trying to build off each other and make sure we’re working hard and playing simple,” mentioned McKenna, now the one lively skater within the Tavares home.

“It’s obviously scary when you see a guy go down like that, and especially a guy like John, who’s meant so much to this team and this city. He’s a backbone to our team, and he’s coming out there every single game, and he’s working as hard as he can every single shift. So, to have a guy like him not being in the lineup, it’s tough. But I think it motivates us all to kind of step up and play a bigger role.”

One-Timers: Encouraging to see Chris Tanev (week to week, higher physique) hanging across the room and leaping on the ice for a solo exercise only one week after happening in Colorado…. Nylander is now clean-shaven: “My moustache was growing into my mouth, so I had to get rid of it.”… Hiller anticipates leaning on top-six Easton Cowan extra with Tavares out…. Marshall Rifai will probably be a wholesome scratch…. Nylander says fatigue from the Western Conference journey affected Thursday’s efficiency. That explains not practising Friday. “We were kind of tired,” he mentioned. “I mean, flying back and then playing the next day was a little bagger.”

Maple Leafs projected lineup Saturday vs. New York Islanders

Roslovic – Matthews – Nylander  
Cowan – Paul – Marchenko 
McKenna – Sissons – Groulx  
Duhaime – Blueger – MacEwen 

McCabe – Raddysh 
Rielly – Stecher 
Ekman-Larsson – Blankenburg