r/leafs • u/icecream_bob • 1d ago
Discussion Solid Assessment of Gavin's ice time last night. Worth the read.
Not sure if this is okay to share but I was blown away by this analysis. Puts the situation into perspective a little.
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u/Exter10 McKenna 1d ago
4 on 4 for the rest of the period. No chance McKenna's out there 4 on 4, especially after sitting for ~7 minutes.
Question, why aren't we playing McKenna 4 on 4, or 3 on 3? Those are about speed, gap control, and possession, all things McKenna excels at. You're scared he'll give away the puck? Nonsense, he's insane when it comes to passing and stays where he knows the puck or his team will be. He also has the speed and skills to dodge any check if need be. He has great vision and a great shot, everything you need for OT.
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u/mrusse015 1d ago
100%.
McKenna at this stage is built for 3 on 3 play, it’s totally ridiculous they won’t put him out there in OT.
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u/LawrenceMoten21 1d ago
You couldn’t play him 3 on 3. Who are you going to take off, Colton Sissons?
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u/thewolfshead 1d ago
Scared he might be poor defensively as opposed to the rest of the team who are so good defensively /s
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u/BodaciousBadongadonk 1d ago
I dont think its about skill so much as being able to react to shit quick enough, thats the biggest thing everyone says about the nhl is how much faster it is than anything before. So not being used to it means he could be a half step slow reacting, which is all it takes even for nhl scrubs to create a quality chance against, or even just an extended in-zone cycle and shift momentum accordingly. Its almost always the same issue with rookies, being able to keep up on the defensive side.
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u/Kid-Goose 1d ago
I also love the idea a professional young hockey player has sat for 7 minutes and is therefore unusable
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u/GavMcKennasBurner 1d ago
He sat for 7 minutes, anybody that knows 18 year olds knows their bones break very easily and they are very irritable, honestly McKenna isn't playing 20 minutes so Hiller should send him down to the W to work on his game, then 4 years in the A and by the time he is 24, he should be ready to play 12 minutes a night
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u/mwthomas11 1d ago
>you're scared he'll give away the puck?
yes, extremely. I love the way he's been playing and am pissed about his usage last night, but to say he hasn't been a turnover machine is just comically not accurate. He'll solve that? and the way to solve that is to play him through it so he can continue adjusting to the pace of play etc, but right now it's definitely a valid concern.
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u/Exter10 McKenna 1d ago
The format of 3 on 3 gives players far more time to think about what they're doing before they do it, which gives McKenna a serious advantage. Most of the turnovers you're referring to is McKenna overshooting JT, who's very slow compared to players he's used to so he misses. He's very good at tape to tape passes, which are exactly what the team needs in OT. He'll learn a lot more there too. We may lose a couple OTs because of him, but I'm sure we'll win a lot more OTs because of him.
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u/Tarquin11 1d ago
Most of his turnovers are him trying to dangle someone in a way that doesn't work on an NHLer, not missing JT.
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
And most of those come from him running out of space and dangling himself into a corner. I wonder if there was a format that would give him more room and lessen the chances of him doing that...
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u/mwthomas11 1d ago
I agree playing him in those situations is the better call since it will pay off in the long term, I'm just saying if you're a coach looking specifically at the game you're currently playing (ignoring long term development which is dumb) against the Sabres who forecheck maybe the most aggressively of any team in the league (especially Benson and Ostlund), I get the decision. I disagree with it, but I get it.
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
I wouldn't describe him as a turnover machine unless you want to give that label to about 40% of the leafs current roster (cowan has 80% more turnovers on the same ice time for example). He hasn't really made any egregious turnovers yet.
It's also important to note his sheer playmaking volume will always lead to more turnovers. It's just how it goes, he's going to create more plays and passes and as a consequence of that he's also going to have more turnovers.
So sure, it's valid to be worried about a rookie making a rookie mistake. But he has not shown a huge reason to be concerned in his play, or at least not more than the guys with equal or more turnovers taking his spot on those 4 on 4's. You shouldn't be not playing him because of that.
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u/Tarquin11 1d ago
Jesus christ, learn to read. He isn't arguing, he's saying McKenna not doing turnovers isn't an accurate statement.
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u/Acamality 1d ago
Calling a guy with only 6 giveaways a “turnover machine” is pretty wild lmao
There are far worse players for that on the team.
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u/Competitive_Baker110 1d ago
That thread's a good find, the shift-by-shift stuff really shows how much the bench management fell apart in the second. It's not just about one guy's ice time, it's the whole flow that got wrecked.
And you're spot on about the 4-on-4, I think the coaching staff gets tunnel vision on "safe" defensive matchups and forgets a player with that kind of vision can be a possession monster in open ice. It's weird to see a skill set perfectly built for that format just parked on the bench.
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u/Sekine_RideTillIDie 1d ago
By this logic all players would be “cold” after intermissions. Hope on an exercise bike and get warmed up again. Makes no sense
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u/AstronoWorld 1d ago
TLDR McKenna was kept off in the rest of the 2nd due to the team being on the penalty kill and his linemates misaligning on shifts.
Then Hiller just decided to not play him in the 3rd cause he was cold from Hiller not playing him
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u/HC4lyfe 1d ago
But like, isn't everyone cold after the intermission?
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u/stickygreenz 1d ago
Yea but he was cooler than being cold. He was ice cold. The bench is like right next to the ice.
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u/shes_my_rushmore 1d ago
Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright now ladies
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u/Intrepid_Theme_9938 1d ago
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u/GavMcKennasBurner 1d ago
You're really not missing out much, it's just excuse making for our coach who has a history of the Tochett school of Hockey:
Play dusty old vets with zero offense, but it's a good idea because they play "good defense" aka generate nothing and get stuck in their own zone the entire time
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u/taco_the_town 1d ago
No it's context. Just because you like easy narratives that let you get riled up and make a fool of yourself online doesn't make it an excuse.
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u/GavMcKennasBurner 1d ago
Sure bro, you know better than Kings fans because you CONTEXTUALIZED his stupidity, wow epic.
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u/taco_the_town 16h ago
If this is how you talk to people when you're not heated, you might want to examine yourself.
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u/greasy-prick 1d ago
I read it all, still dont like it, no reason to sit him for half the game like that
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u/Jealous_Ad_3321 1d ago
Agreed. The second period, ok I guess I can see how it happens (although I disagree with the poster that 92 couldn’t have played the 4 on 4).
But it’s just negligent to not give him a shift early in the 3rd period unless you have decided to not play him for the rest of the game (which is just as bad IMO).
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u/greasy-prick 1d ago
Exactly, we couldve used another skater in that third regardless of who it was “cold” or not.
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u/stevedek 1d ago
I wasn't impressed with the coach's philosophy of turning the entire 3rd period into a complete defensive system. This team is not good defensively, they need to outscore teams and stay on the offensive albeit with more discretion when they have the lead. It was a horrible watch, you could tell how tired they were, they needed young blood to inject some kind of spark. I don't agree with it all, and his explanation was weak.
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u/Beginning_Smell_7704 1d ago
Even good defensive teams don’t play pure neutral zone hockey, and haven’t since like the 90s. In the modern NHL you need OZ pressure and a strong forecheck. The second the team started playing back on their heels I knew we’d lose. 1. Because it’s leafy but also because 2. Modern NHL teams don’t win games like that. I’d understand shutting it down when there’s 10m left in the game, but it was like 35 minutes of trap hockey. No gap control, no pressure, everyone just collapsed back into a single file line instead of tightening the point, just full on “please good sir, walk into my DZ, I insist.”
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u/CheapSong 1d ago
Bunch of illiterate people in the comments here…it’s not that much to read.
I read it all and I don’t understand this being “cold” excuse. What happened at the end of the second period is perhaps justifiable but I don’t see any explanation for McKenna being benched to start the third. Isn’t every player “cold” to start the period like wtf?
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u/epic_taco_time Cowan 1d ago
So 2nd period benching kind of justified but after that, ugh. If he does this again with McKenna then i’ll be concerned. I hope he has/had a long conversation with chayka and the player leadership group (Matthews, Tavares, etc) about not doing this again
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u/northdancer 1d ago
Young players have to play, it's the only way they will get better. If he's going to effectively get punished for making mistakes on the ice at 18, it might make getting better a bit more difficult. Personally, if I was the organization, I'd step in to ensure the development of their prized asset isn't hampered by some old school coaching mentality, or by a coach that probably won't even be here in a couple of years
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u/thistreestands 1d ago
The thing that's not discussed is the shift McKenna had prior to the benching. Was at the game and his effort level in the D zone wasn't great.
I refuse to buy that you sit a guy for that long because you're worried he's cold.
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u/muffinpro52 1d ago
Alright it’s annoying that he got benched but can we not drag this out so much holy
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u/gr8-big-lebowski 1d ago
Rookies sit in close games all the time
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u/egamcra 1d ago
This is so discriminatory and ageist; it needs to stop. Fire Hiller
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u/gr8-big-lebowski 19h ago edited 18h ago
Weird comment and you definitely don’t know shit about fuck when it comes to hockey.
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u/egamcra 18h ago
I'm just making fun of all the snowflakes who are upset that Hiller would bench a rookie who was caught coasting a few times.
I'm with you, probably a bad joke.
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u/gr8-big-lebowski 18h ago
I’m too polluted by people who actually mean it when they say stuff like that to catch the joke lol.
Cheers bud.
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u/WheatKing91 1d ago
I'm so disappointed that I read all that.
You're the head coach. You don't just forget a player on your bench and shrug your shoulders.
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u/BlueHotCoconut 1d ago
I got tired after the 7th chapter of this post about a rookie being sat for half a game.
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u/Outrageous_Fix_5738 1d ago
Seriously guys this is insane. If you're writing/reading essays about why a rookie is getting not full shifts you might be too obsessed.
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u/Tranquilizrr 23h ago
It's interesting lol. It's a breakdown of events in a sporting match. What's with people acting like this is a novel? 2026 man
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u/DessertRose17 1d ago
Too obsessed is subjective. Is 98% of a persons thoughts too much? Most would say yes but
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u/Intelligent-Tell-629 1d ago
Hiller is a loser who went too far. This teaches no one anything that your ego is massive and think negative reinforcement is the best way to improve a player. Discipline yes, but not just a power trip
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u/David040200 1d ago
It happened, Hiller took responsibility and blames himself for it. Let's just move on, I highly doubt the outcome would have been any different anyway.
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u/keeeeener 1d ago
Why is this getting blown out of proportion, he’s a rookie that has really bad habits. Him getting benched isn’t that crazy. Also it was a pretty physical game, Buffalo is a bad match up for him. Tbh most of the Atlantic is (Ottawa, Florida, and Montreal also play a hard fast north south game) which is just not his style.
The decision to hunker down with 20 mins left is the real issue. We just don’t have the team/roster for that.
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u/InevitableAssist2462 1d ago
Yes but him getting benched and the coach basically saying he forgot and couldn’t bring him back into the game. Nothing against McKenna, he’s going to make mistakes but he won’t get better playing 5 minutes a night
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u/HeftyNugs 1d ago
He didn't even come close to saying he forgot. In fact he was pretty explicit in why he didn't get him back out there.
he won’t get better playing 5 minutes a night
I also don't think Hiller ever implied he'd be getting 5 minutes a night from here out. He has played plenty of hockey this season and it's only been 8 games. Like OP said, this shit is clearly blown out of proportion as do all things in Toronto.
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u/David040200 1d ago
It was literally one game. Like this isn't going to stunt his growth at all. This is why Leaf fans get made fun of, ridiculous takes on one little thing.
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
Where was the ridiculous take in the guys comment? Can you point it out?
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u/David040200 1d ago
Everything about this benching is overblown. The ridiculous take is thinking McKenna is only playing 5 minutes a night going forward
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u/InevitableAssist2462 1d ago
I don’t think he will play 5 minutes a night going forward that’s ridiculous. I think that would be a terrible decision, like playing a 1st overall pick 6:36 because he can’t play in the third period because he’s “cold”
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u/sundin0013 1d ago
He isn't playing 5min a night though. He played 17 minutes against Utah. I don't like the decision, but it seems clear that this was a weird concoction of circumstances, and I see no reason to think that this is going to be a trend
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
Considering we've already had two post game interviews where he's said identical things about trying but not being able to get Mckenna out, and his LA days in which he also would not get the promising young guys out, I think there's pretty good reason to think this is going to be a trend.
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u/sundin0013 1d ago
Considering he's played legit minutes literally every other game this season, I find this exceedingly premature
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 21h ago
He's been held off from OT, powerplay time, and has third liner minutes. I don't know if I'd consider that "legit minutes", I consider that to be the bare minimum if you're going to take away his college eligibility.
You can think it's premature but don't pretend a pattern isn't forming. It's entirely possible Hiller learns his lesson. But it's also possible he continues to be unable to "find" Mckenna ice time like he did after having an almost identical quote after back to back OT's and like he did with Clarke in LA. There's very obviously a trend here, I would love for it to be broken, but the trend is there nonetheless.
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u/Supabongwong 1d ago
I can imagine if McKenna gets bodied, it could result in injury.
He's incredibly talented, but he's got a ways to go in terms of physical size and getting used to NHL hitz
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u/Squawking_Macaw 1d ago
I guess he should never set foot on the ice, then. Somebody might hurt him.
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u/Boboplata 1d ago
1OA, but he should think about going back to uni and finishing his education. Hockey is dangerous, after all.
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u/Supabongwong 1d ago
I guess we should always talk in absolutes instead of the context of the post - that it was a very physical team in Buffalo 😂
But yes, let's keep conversations black and white without nuance
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
And he was doing just fine creating plays against that physical team. It's arguably more dangerous to try and shelter him in early season games and then forcing him to adapt when the season progresses and games become tighter and more directly influential on the playoff race.
I'd much rather he get used to it and take a few hits rather than develop bad and dangerous habits during the more physical games of the year because they refused to let him figure it out.
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u/Squawking_Macaw 1d ago
I'm in no way saying McKenna is Gretzky. But clearly he knows how to avoid a hit. He's slippery as hell and can go from full speed to stationary in an instant. Do you trust the player or not? Because if he's getting six minutes a night against any team that hits, there's no point having him on the team.
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u/Supabongwong 1d ago
This is one instance, if it becomes normalized - yes.
At the same time, experienced players are getting injured from big hits.
I'm not saying for him to get experience, but let's give it more than one game for a proper sample size
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
He can't get used to the NHL hits if he doesn't play in the game. If you're too worried to even put him on the ice because of injury then he shouldn't be in the league and you've failed by ruining his college eligibility.
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u/Supabongwong 1d ago
This was a response to another commenter.
"This is one instance, if it becomes normalized - yes.
At the same time, experienced players are getting injured from big hits.
I'm not saying for him to get experience, but let's give it more than one game for a proper sample size "
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
If you're going to shelter him, there has to be a reason. He was doing just fine. You don't need to put on the kid gloves suddenly.
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u/keeeeener 1d ago
Ngl, him being at 160 after playing a year in college (those guys basically don’t play all week and not like they’re going to class) is a bit concerning. Like, the major advantage with playing in college is that you have less travel and less games so you can focus on bulking up.
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u/mwthomas11 1d ago
>not like they're going to class
they are though. they might have a remote one or two, or something, but they do attend often.
the kid was 17 for much of that season - it's wildly difficult to put on weight at that age when you're as active as a pro athlete lol.
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u/keeeeener 1d ago
Trust me I know a lot of guys in college hockey, if they don’t want to go to class they aren’t. Especially for a guy like Gavin that knows he’s only going for one year, there’s just no point.
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u/lsaran 1d ago
He got stood up pretty hard in the second. Looked awkward.
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u/Supabongwong 1d ago
I saw the first period and the end of the third bc I was out, so I didn't see it.
Lights out?
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u/lsaran 1d ago
It was a collision. He didn’t fall but he bore the brunt of it. As a small-framed teenager it had to have shaken him up.
I was at the game and my friend pointed out he was benched about halfway through the 3rd. I thought maybe that hit was the reason. Can’t say for sure.
The game got super chippy. Raddysh almost scrapped. JT got injured. Lots of contact and extra shots. Maybe Hiller was protecting him. Or maybe there were multiple factors at play.
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u/oldtivouser 13h ago
It isn't "crazy" to bench an 18 year old, but I don't believe Hiller and I don't agree with any of the bullshit reasons. Most games are close. All games are physical.
The fact is - "We just don’t have the team/roster for that." is 100% true, so it is even more fucking stupid to think you can do that even better by playing only 3 lines. After a long road trip. That's the fact. Doesn't matter if it's McKenna or MacEwen benched. Given the way the goalies are playing and our D are playing, and down JT, it seems monumentally stupid to be thinking: let's get outshot 15-4 and we'll park the bus. It's like thinking: I'll fight like Rocky and take a beating for 4 rounds to tire him out, but in reality, history shows I can't take more than 3 hits to the head before I'm out.
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u/chawnzy 1d ago
The decision to hunker down is why McKenna didn't play. They're inextricably linked.
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u/keeeeener 1d ago
Disagree, Mckenna not playing didn’t make Matthews/Marchenko/Nylander just flip every puck out to the neutral zone every time they got in the d zone.
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u/chawnzy 1d ago
Yeah I agree with that, but what I mean is the decision not to play him was tied to the decision to hunker down. Not playing him is a symptom of the mistake, not the cause. By deciding to do literally zero offence and stay back with a DREADFULL 1-2-2, it necessitated not playing McKenna because McKenna is a known playmaker and has not been involved in defensive schemes at the NHL level (not saying I agree with this he back checked great - just what I think Hiller's galaxy braining is).
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
Him getting benched for an entire half a game is what's crazy. I also think the consistency in which benching applies is a major factor. Rielly had made far more egregious errors on a nightly basis than Mckenna has at all in these 8 games. Nylander isn't exactly a defensive stalwart and is most comparable to Mckenna in terms of defensive habits. Raddysh has had his fair share of absolutely brutal give aways, particularly the first few games. Yet Mckenna is not just the only one who gets the benching treatment, but the punishment is SIGNIFICANTLY disproportionate to what he actually did (which is essentially nothing this past game).
He was having a genuinely good game for those 6 minutes. That game was tracking to be above average for him this year. The fact of the matter is, if you can't manage to play Mckenna when he's playing like that, creating chances every shift and skating on the forecheck, then you simply cannot play him in the NHL and he should've been left in college.
Let's just stop pretending like this was a justified benching and Hiller is running a meritocracy on that bench. Him getting benched that game, especially for that long, was without a doubt crazy and dumb. Just like the gameplan to turtle for the last 20 was also dumb.
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u/GritGrinder 1d ago
This is so over analyzed.
Kid played like 5 games and people were livid he didn’t kick Tavares off pp1.
Kinda funny actually
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u/Brennans_account 1d ago
The only thing I remember is Gav getting toedragged by Samuelsson when he was forechecking and it led to the 2nd goal. I thought that was a tough benching considering he was the just the F1 pressuring the D. I was in disbelief when Blueger and Duhaime went on the wings in the 3rd for the entire time. This is a guy you were starting in the top 6 opening night, like he's not useless. The fact that another top 6 player is also hurt and you're STILL not playing Gav is where this went too far for me. I like Duhaime, I like Blueger, I don't think they're good in the role that the Coach put them in. Simple as.
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
Yea the play is fine, he pressured the D and made a play with a pretty good risk/reward ratio. If he gets it he's got a breakaway, if he misses it, well, he still did his job pressuring as the forechecker and he's not going to lose his guy. There wouldn't be a significant difference if he just sat in front of the defender vs trying the move. He'd be in nearly the same spot. It was just great movement by buffalo against his genuinely strong forecheck and poor defence and goaltending for Toronto.
Maybe I'd have an issue if this was Quinn hughes or Dahlin, a dman that would easily burn you and skate it up for a huge man advantage. But this seems completely fine.
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u/punkdrummer22 1d ago
And sportsnet has a good article about while McKenna is almost getting in position where he should be defensively he's playing it wrong like skating wrong way, at a standstill etc..
He has much to learn and id rather he get benched now and learn
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u/CarriesLogs 1d ago
Good read honestly but can’t expect the people here to read it, short attention span pictures only
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u/hanMan86 1d ago
I thoroughly appreciate this breakdown. I can sadly. Say this was one I was absolutely going off titles and headlines rather than body of context. I've never liked the Hiller hire but this should ds light on the details on the night. Would have loved to see Cassidy get a crack tbh but maybe he wasn't the right stylistic fit either. Who knows. At least it's a watchable product. I think I shut every game off by middle of the first period last season it was so terrible.
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u/MVISfanboy 1d ago
As a casual hockey fan and someone who's never played organized hockey, it's actually pretty intersting reading stuff like this which breaks down how players get sent out and how it's easy to miss a shift or two.
What happened last night is inexcusable for a NHL head coach to make but I never really understood how major players could even go three minutes without getting a shift minus the obvious peanlty kill units taking over
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u/Shoelesshobos 1d ago
Only in Toronto would we dissect a shift by shift of a game to show why a player didn’t see the ice.
This shit is getting out of hand.
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u/AddMan3001 1d ago
Last line is the most important. Hiller needs to be better with his explanations or media and fans will eat him alive
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u/2014olympicgold 1d ago
Losing track of your 1st OA winger who's been great by the head coach and all the assistances is near impossible.
This has done exactly the intention, get us talking about something for a couple of days instead of McKenna being benched because of a play or something.
Hiller distraction succesful
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u/Ilyalyubushkin 1d ago
The point at the end is the key one.
You've got to get him out. If not in his spot, then in some other spot.
But you've still got to get him out.
I cant believe I read that whole thing just to get to that point.
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u/VitaminTea 1d ago edited 1d ago
The issue is not so much skipping McKenna’s spot under specific circumstances — the Marchenko double-shift in the 2nd obviously worked. The issue is not working him back in after you’ve skipped him. Give him a shift with Matthews or Tavares to end the period. Don’t lose track of the guy that, frankly, you should actually be paying the most attention to, if you are actually trying to manage the teenager’s minutes and matchups.
If Hiller thinks McKenna’s TOI needs to be micromanaged, he needs to actually manage it.
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u/LPG24 1d ago
Okay, now we are overreacting. If we don’t perform, Chayka will take care of it. We have to be cutthroat. This year, we need to make the playoffs. A good run will give us momentum for next year. McKenna developing as much as possible for next year is key. We keep talking shit about our defence, but I see worse teams performing. Go back in time and look at our D core. The names are terrible but we made the playoffs.
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u/Difficult-Option-141 1d ago
Everyone break out the magnified reading glasses we got a mystery to solve
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u/Quiet-Temporary-6666 1d ago
OP. I read the whole thing and I think you did a good job with the explanation. I think that a coach afraid to use the players that got us the lead is a poor example of coaching. We are able to look back at the game with the end result on our minds.
The kid is going to make mistakes. You learn from your fuck ups in real time when you are on the ice. Simply being told you might fuck up is a terrible way to teach anyone anything.
We lost the game as a team and a first round pick sitting on the bench doesn’t feel a part of that.
Hiller benched Willy in one of the first couple games because of poor defensive play and he came out the next game better.
Jimmy had sure better learn how to explain himself better in Toronto. The city’s the best worst place to fucking play hockey. This post is evidence of that.
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u/IntelligentAd5595 1d ago
Bunch of losers critiquing his performance. He’s in the NHL you all are not. he’s fought adversity adjusting as a 16 year old in the dub, 17 in college, 18 in the NHL. Not one person here typing has accomplished what this kid has accomplished as a kid compared to all you kids to grown ups. go play outside vs being such an expert of what he’s doing wrong like you all would ever know. toxic keyboard jockies
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u/r3dstar77 1d ago
Dude. You are a big part of the problem
Touch grass man, its a hockey game, a game…. That is all. Hiller gambled on a strategy of shut down defence and it failed.
Its not that deep, just a game.
Get well
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u/BreakfastSolid1217 1d ago
Woah... It's a hockey game. Mistakes were made lets move on. We got 84 of these now.
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u/BeefJerky03 1d ago
Yeah that's crazy man. I just cleaned the house and walked my dog instead but whatever floats your car I guess.
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u/Disastrous-Dog-1594 1d ago
As someone who rode the bench in high school and would get put out there after sitting for 30+ minutes, put the kid out there. An 18 year old can deal with hopping into a game after sitting for a while, especially if they are the 1OA pick. An intermission happening makes the decision not make sense.
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u/Kindly-Client-4402 1d ago
I am pretty sure he’s gonna be sent to the minors so he can get more ice time. Don’t be surprised ya’ll! lol
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u/myjukeboxisnotfine 23h ago
“really NOT AS BIG OF A DEAL ITS BEING MADE OUT TO BE” is something you should all read over and over and over again
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u/uncleben85 16h ago
I feel like I am going crazy that this isn't really a big deal
If it's a pattern, sure. But coach rolling lines and sitting a couple players in 1 game of 84 is hardly the news cycle people are trying to drum it up to be.
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u/Jobinx22 16h ago
"You guys are fucking insane" was my only thought when I opened up how long that read is and immediately closed it. That and the fact this has 200+ upvotes. I am a diehard leafs fan but this is fucking crazy guys stop it.
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u/Agreeable_Ant_3032 13h ago
Dumb ass hiller
Get a new coach...ppl come to watch mckenna play.. not 4 liners!!!
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u/Imonenut 1d ago
Mountains out. Of molehills. We did not lose the game because of it
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u/Evening_Extreme_1681 1d ago
Not sure about that. Shortened the bench after one of your top 6 players goes out injured. One of the guys benches IS a top 6 player. And you put out sissons in OT and to top it off you lose a winnable game . Then you come out in front of everyone and fumble an already flimsy explanation. If we didn't lose because of it, it certainly played a factor. This was an opportunity to out coach his opponent and he failed.
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 1d ago
Leafs lost the game because of Hillers sudden urge to turtle and run 3 lines from the third period onwards, even after Tavares got injured and exhausting the forwards. It's not specifically because of Mckenna, but him not playing is a direct symptom of the reason that did cause them to lose the game.
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u/Imonenut 1d ago
Or they lost because they still can’t play defence with any commitment
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u/Ok_Elevator4215 21h ago
They literally just don't have the personnel to play a defensive game. Their team is extremely flawed. It's the coaches job to work within that and do what works best with what he has. If you want to harp on the defence then you can take that up with Chayka, that has nothing to do with ingame coaching decisions.
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u/This_Excitement_5191 1d ago
I’m a pretty new fan to the leafs, but have followed the raptors and blue jays pretty closely for years.
The amount of outrage that benching a guy has gotten is giving me a really negative look at the fans for this team. It’s game 7 of the season, people need to fucking relax.
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u/lsaran 1d ago
Man, we’re animals in this city. Hiller made a comment in passing to blow off a question he didn’t want to answer and we’re chewing it apart like rabid animals.
I say that having read that whole tweet and having spent hours on this sub today.
Hiller learned this isn’t LA in the worst possible way.
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u/Muted_Tank_8890 1d ago
Ya keep benching him Hiller. Any bets on how that would work out for Jim’s career?
Benching the number 1 pick over half a game is nonsensical.
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u/Squawking_Macaw 1d ago
Are you aware that's in two point font? I do Reddit on a 27" monitor precisely so I don't have to squint at things like this!
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u/SgtBigCactus 1d ago
There’s no way any sane person is reading all that brother
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u/Morganvegas 1d ago
I read it all.
I think if you’re gonna have a strong opinion either way about the topic then you should read it.
Otherwise it doesn’t matter at all lmfao
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u/Apprehensive-Rub-11 1d ago
lol reading is hard for some people
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u/MacAttack35 1d ago
It’s hilarious how something like that is considered a long read these days.
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u/SgtBigCactus 1d ago
In the context of a hockey team, yeah, this is too much. It’s bordering on touch grass territory
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u/Apprehensive-Rub-11 1d ago
It’s a 2 minute read and gives the breakdown of what happened to his shifts. I guess this is the TikTok generation where reading is tough and attention spans are short.
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u/SgtBigCactus 1d ago
It’s game 8 man. Breathe some fresh air. Get off twitter. It’ll be alright
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u/Squawking_Macaw 1d ago
The only reason I didn't is because it's in two point font that doesn't size up when I zoom in. It's what, not even a screen. Did you misplace your attention span?
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u/BlackBeltInSeesaw 1d ago
I appreciate this level of effort but boy does it seem silly that this dissection has to get so deep
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u/Sideshift1427 1d ago
So replacement of McKenna with Marchenko for a shift may have resulted in the Leafs getting point out of the game.
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u/irkybirky 1d ago
Sitting 7+ mins. OH NO..he's cold. Geez all players sit that long, it called before the game starts. The guy is 18yrs old, he's full of piss n vinegar,, Hiller is just a shit coach, and all his trophy's prove it. Too bad Leafs are stuck with him. Can only hope Hiller learns from this
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u/Key-Border-4865 1d ago
Idc about any of this, last night was a turning point and hiller is brain dead
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u/SaLTee709 1d ago
My mind refuses to read all that.
I tried, believe me. I get one or two sentences in and bamm! Attention span shot to shit….
I’ve seen it 6-7 times today and each time I’ve laid the phone down and walked away!
So, ahhh.. ya! Figured you all wanted to know this.
Okay
Bye
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u/Novel-Document-1656 1d ago
Tavares out and he doesn’t play mckenna or Mackewen. In OT Nylander went to the bench after 20 seconds. Leafs were tired and it shows. Nylander was sent back out like 2 shifts later. Leafs looked noticeable gassed.
What pisses me off is that you’re the coach of the motherfuckign Toronto Maple Leafs and and can’t manage your bench properly and you lose an insanely winnable game