Maple Leafs pocket book: Fast-study McKenna wowing already

TORONTO — Gavin McKenna adapts as quick as he shifts instructions.

The leap in efficiency from {the teenager}’s first pre-season recreation to his second was so loud, you may hear it within the gasps from Wednesday’s Scotiabank Arena crowd, a powerful portion of which have been already decked out in straight-off-the-rack No. 92 sweaters.

Be it pace or confidence, rewind-worthy dangles or intelligent reads, McKenna’s enchancment from Saturday to Wednesday was the discuss of the barn.

“I think we all saw that, didn’t we?” Toronto Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller mentioned. “It’s going to be a process for him to understand and adapt. But that was pretty encouraging to be able to come back from Game 1 and show us what he did tonight.”

What he did was deftly chip a D-zone puck alongside the wall to a dashing William Nylander, who buttered one cross-ice to John Tavares. Billet Dad scored on McKenna’s first help in a Leafs uni.

What he did was feign an O-zone retreat earlier than slicing by means of two Ottawa defenders and drawing a hooking penalty that shortly led to a Jack Roslovic power-play aim.

What he did was carry a growingly optimistic fan base out of its seats with spins and passes and extended head-up carries by means of visitors.

“He’s a hard guy to contain, right?” Hiller continued. “If you ask me, ‘What’s the one part of his game that has caught you off-guard?’ I would say it’s his skating. It’s his speed. I don’t know if he was talked about that way. Skating and straightaway speed has been really good.”

Knowing he was becoming a member of a league that may run laps across the NCAA, McKenna emphasised skating work over the summer season. Not solely straight-line tempo for rush assaults and backchecking, however switching gears to deceive his checks and earn house to create.

“He really settled in tonight. Had the puck on his stick a lot, a lot of quick plays to a lot of guys out there, give-and-goes and buying his ice and creating space for himself and his teammates,” Jake McCabe mentioned. “Lots of great flashes.”

You’ve most likely seen these flashes making the rounds on social media already.

But the coach additionally noticed fewer turnovers just like the one McKenna dedicated in opposition to Montreal Saturday, a debut through which the No. 1 decide admitted he felt “a bit timid.” 

No timidity may very well be noticed Wednesday. 

McKenna tilted the ice one thing fierce. The Leafs outscored the Sens 3-0, outshot them 13-2, and outchanced them 13-2 when McKenna hit the ice at five-on-five.

No marvel Hiller promoted the rookie to Auston Matthews’ high line mid-game. More flashes. More fast chemistry.

“That was the encouraging part. Game over game, he was able to create a little bit more space for himself. It was almost like he made that adjustment naturally. I know he lives with John Tavares. They talked quite a bit on the way home after the last game about what it was like. So, I would say he’s got a great mentor there in John. But I know he talks to Willy too. He talks to Auston,” Hiller mentioned.

“He wasn’t really in the O-zone much last game. He was on the forecheck tonight. He was on the (back)track again. So, it seems to me that he’s adjusting pretty well to the game without the puck, too.”

McKenna’s self-assessment?

“I felt good out there,” he mentioned. “It provides us all an enormous confidence increase, having a recreation like this the place you win 6-1, don’t give a complete lot up defensively. 

“That’s huge for our team, huge for myself, and that’s how you want to end a preseason game. So, it’s a lot good going into Game 1.”

Hiller desires extra from Knies

If any top-six ahead’s inventory dipped a notch throughout this dash of a pre-season, it’s energy ahead Matthew Knies. 

Not solely did Knies lose his net-front spot on the highest power-play unit out of the gate, however the left wing sat on the bench whereas McKenna and Easton Cowan every received a shift or two alongside Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic on the left facet of Line 1.

While totally recovered from a knee damage that nagged him final season, Knies has but to pop off the web page as strongly as the opposite 5 members of the highest six.

“Wasn’t that dangerous. I think he only had one shot on goal, took one to the net. So, I think he’s been OK. I wouldn’t say strongly one way or the other,” Hiller assessed. 

“I think there’s more there, for sure.”

Marshall Rifai received’t make the Leafs out of camp, as was the Calder Cup champ’s intention, however his willingness to battle Florian Xhekaj Saturday didn’t go unnoticed by Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the remainder of the group.

“It’s just setting the tone right away from a culture standpoint,” Rifai informed reporters. “If you noticed the place the Marlies have been after I received right here and the place we’re at immediately, I feel it’s so much totally different. 

“This part of the year is about gelling and knowing we have each other’s backs.”

This is a workforce keen to clean the stain of Radko Gudas’s greasy kneeing of Matthews final season going unpunished within the second.

Teddy Blueger additionally jumped in to battle Ethan Samson Saturday after the Montreal blue-liner levelled Vinni Lettieri.

And just lately employed muscle Zack MacEwan dropped ’em with Hayden Hodgson Wednesday, igniting Scotiabank Arena. Matthews scored 42 seconds later.

“You look back to the Marlies and why we won a championship, it was that kind of mentality,” scrapper Michael Pezzetta mentioned. “If someone goes down, you’re getting right in there and every single guy would stand up for each other. And when you have that feeling in the room, it’s special. And it’s something you build one day at a time and that was a good start.”

A little bit perception into why John Chayka went out and signed so many fourth-line wingers in July: Dakota Joshua has been coping with a core damage because the new GM took the job in May and, though he practises frequently, has not been cleared for recreation motion.

Injuries and inconsistency restricted Joshua, 30, to 55 video games final season, his first in Toronto. The ahead, who overcame testicular most cancers previous to becoming a member of the workforce, suffered a lacerated kidney in late December however did end the season.

“Just as he ramps up, it’s been hard to get into game shape and be ready to play,” Chayka mentioned. “He’s still day-to-day, and we’re hoping that it progresses. But it’s been a while now.”

In different roster information, the Leafs positioned Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis on waivers for the aim of AHL reassignment. 

While Daniel Alfredsson travelled to go coach Toronto’s B squad at Bell Centre Saturday, the Leafs’ new affiliate head coach didn’t assume the identical duty Wednesday in Ottawa.

That activity fell to John Gruden. And so, Alfredsson’s awkward homecoming might be pushed to Jan. 20, when the Leafs go to Canadian Tire Centre.

“The hard one for him will be going back into Ottawa,” Hiller mentioned. “That’s what I think. He gave us some input this morning on some of the stuff that Ottawa does well. So, that’s a resource for us. But I think there’ll be a lot more questions about that once we go into Ottawa.”