Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Rielly McKenna, Tavares, Nylander & Hiller

What’s particularly frustrating is that Rielly has been playing some of his best hockey in quite some time. Hiller said he’s had a really good three weeks, that his confidence appears to be back, and that he’s been helping the team in a big way. Losing those minutes, particularly with the way he’s been playing lately, would be a tough blow. The Maple Leafs will be hoping this is a short-term issue, because replacing Rielly’s minutes isn’t going to be easy.

Tavares’ Return Helps Get Nylander Going, While McKenna Gets a Lesson

There was some good news, though. Hiller was particularly pleased with William Nylander’s performance, suggesting it was his best game in a long, long time. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that John Tavares was back playing alongside him. The two have terrific chemistry, and Tavares’ ability to win puck battles gives Nylander more opportunities to do what he does best.

Tavares himself had a decent return, getting better in the faceoff circle as the game progressed and finding his way around the net. Meanwhile, Gavin McKenna had a couple of turnovers that Hiller wasn’t ready to overlook. He made it clear that those mistakes simply can’t continue, although he also praised the youngster’s attitude, effort and willingness to learn. That’s part of developing young players, but the message is pretty straightforward. Talent is great, but you’ve got to look after the puck.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The interesting thing about Hiller’s assessment was that he didn’t believe the Maple Leafs played a particularly poor game. In fact, he felt they put together almost a full 60 minutes, with the exception of a few costly moments. Toronto created chances, competed well and generally kept Montreal from generating extended offensive-zone pressure. Unfortunately, a couple of unnecessary turnovers helped give the Canadiens goals they didn’t necessarily have to work terribly hard to get.

Hiller’s message was simple. His team needs to create chances, but not give the opposition easy ones. It’s not complicated, although sometimes the Maple Leafs seem determined to make it more difficult than it needs to be. With another home game coming up, they’ll need to clean up those mistakes, keep building on the chemistry between Tavares and Nylander, and hope Rielly’s injury isn’t serious.

The pressure to win doesn’t suddenly appear because of the standings or a homestand. As Hiller pointed out, it’s always there. The Maple Leafs just need to start turning better stretches of hockey into better results.