Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna are forcing Jim Hiller's hand

When veteran Toronto forward John Tavares was ruled out for the Toronto Maple Leafs' high-stakes Saturday night road game against the Colorado Avalanche, head coach Jim Hiller didn't just make standard line tweaks; he boldly opted for an unconventional 11-forward, 7-defenceman alignment.

Rather than shrinking under the pressure of a short bench, especially after defenseman Chris Tanev left the game early due to injury, the tactical gamble blew the doors wide open for Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna.

Cowan and McKenna Prove They Belong Alongside Toronto's Elite

With Tavares out of the lineup, the Maple Leafs needed to fill his spot on the top power-play unit. McKenna stepped in and looked comfortable playing with the Leafs' top stars.

During a second-period man advantage, with the Leafs trailing 2-1, McKenna made a pass to himself off the boards in the Colorado zone to get by a defender. He then showed great vision and made a beautiful cross-ice pass to William Nylander, who was alone on the right of Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. Nylander calmly deked around the netminder to tie the game.

In the third period, with the Maple Leafs clinging to a one-goal lead and on the power play, Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson was leading a short-handed rush near the Toronto blue line. McKenna backchecked hard and patiently stripped the puck from Manson.

From there, McKenna fed the puck to Auston Matthews at the Leafs' blue line to start a transition up ice. Matthews moved the puck to Kirill Marchenko, then to Nylander, who found Matthews high in the slot for a gorgeous glove-side finish. Starting with McKenna's strong play, four Leafs touched the puck on the power-play goal that gave Toronto a two-goal cushion with just under eight minutes left. The goal essentially iced the game.

McKenna, playing with Matthews and Marchenko, set up that third-period power play. The line controlled the puck in the Avalanche zone until Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon eventually tripped Matthews.

Cowan has been one of the Leafs' best forwards through the first six games of the season. After Nylander tied the game at 3 late in the second period, Cowan deposited a pass from defenseman Morgan Rielly to give Toronto a 4-3 lead after two periods. The goal stood up as the game-winner. It was Cowan's third goal of the season and his second game-winner.

The second-year Leaf trails only Nylander and Matthews in goals scored and plays on both special teams units. He has seamlessly moved from the team's third line, where he started the year, to playing among the top six.

Cowan and McKenna have each shown a remarkable transformation over the opening weeks of the season. McKenna has shaken off his early rookie jitters. He has looked more comfortable and dynamic ever since his breakout performance in the Leafs' fourth game of the year against Nashville.

Cowan looks like a completely different player than in his rookie season, playing with a refined maturity. He has displayed the soaring confidence that comes with being in his second year. Together, Toronto's young stars are actively pushing the veterans ahead of them on the depth chart. They have left Hiller with no logical choice but to reward their performance with elevated spots in the lineup, whether that means a permanent role in the top six or a regular shift on the team's top power -play unit.

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