- Gavin McKenna played just 6:36 and sat the final 32:54 of the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Sabres
- Jim Hiller took the blame and said he should have gotten the rookie out early in the third
- Read below for what Hiller and Auston Matthews said about the benching
Gavin McKenna barely played in the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, and Jim Hiller says that one is on him.
McKenna logged 6:36 and never touched the ice after the 9:40 mark of the second period, a gap of 32:54 to finish the night, according to NHL.com. Hiller was asked after the game why the No. 1 pick disappeared.
Here’s what the Leafs coach said:
Hiller explained that Toronto took three straight penalties late in the second, McKenna doesn’t kill penalties, and the bench rotation got away from him. He said he didn’t want to throw McKenna out after sitting him for 30-some minutes.
“It’s not fair to him,” Hiller said.
It was by far the lowest ice time of McKenna’s NHL career. His previous low was 12:46 in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Oct. 3, and he came in averaging 15:00 with five points in seven games. He scored his first NHL goal against the Predators earlier this month.
McKenna was on the ice for Jack Quinn’s second goal, which tied the game 2-2 early in the second period. Hiller was asked about McKenna’s overall game and called it “OK” and “fine.”
The Leafs also played short after John Tavares left with an undisclosed injury at 2:32 of the third, which left them with 11 forwards. Zack MacEwen didn’t get a shift after 13:57 of the second either, so Toronto used just nine of its 11 forwards the rest of the way.
Kirill Marchenko still had a night to remember with his first hat trick as a Leaf, including this between-the-legs goal that put Toronto up 2-1:
Buffalo rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third and Owen Power won it 3:14 into overtime.
Auston Matthews was asked about how McKenna might handle the night. He thinks it will fuel him.
“Those things kind of happen sometimes,” Matthews said. “I think everybody has been in that situation before. It’s not necessarily a situation you want to be in, but I know a game like tonight is going to make him hungry for the next one.”
Hiller hadn’t spoken with McKenna yet, but said he would before Saturday’s game against the Islanders. He described the 18-year-old as “very mature” and doesn’t expect any lasting damage.
