In almost any other offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs hiring Jim Hiller as head coach would have been the biggest storyline in the city. Instead, the media spotlight has focused on the roster overhaul by general manager John Chayka.
Between trading for Kirill Marchenko, landing first-overall phenom Gavin McKenna, and securing high-profile veterans Darren Raddysh and Sergei Bobrovsky, talk around Toronto has been almost exclusively about the new-look lineup. Yet, the Leafs' recent 2-1 win over the New York Islanders shifted the focus right back to the bench. The night had plenty of positive structural adjustments from the new bench boss, but one fearless, no-nonsense move following a top power-play unit blunder sent the loudest message.
Hiller's Bold Move That Stood Out the Most
After the Maple Leafs' season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Hiller made a couple of lineup adjustments for the Islanders' game. There was a tweak to the fourth line, inserting Bo Groulx for Zach McEwen, and starting Anthony Stolarz in net.
Stolarz was rock solid and a big part of the victory, but Hiller's move during a third-period Leafs power play should have Toronto fans most excited. Star winger William Nylander, coming off a two-goal performance in the season opener against the Habs, made a bad pinch in the Montreal zone, leading to a 2-on-1 shorthanded goal by Emil Heineman. To make matters worse, Nylander gave a very poor effort on the back check.
Immediately after the Canadiens' goal, Hiller yanked the Maple Leafs' top power-play unit from the ice. It was a bold message to his top players, Nylander in particular, that the major gaffe was unacceptable.
Holding its stars accountable has long been a point of discussion around the Maple Leafs. In the past, a glaring error would often be ignored. There were no consequences for Auston Matthews, Nylander, or other top players. Hiller's welcome message to the Leafs' top unit wasn't his only positive move.
More Positive Takeaways From Hiller's First Victory
The quick hook after giving up the short-handed goal wasn't Hiller's only strong move related to the Leafs' power play. He consistently put the Maple Leafs' second unit out on the ice for the last 40-45 seconds of each man advantage.
The Leafs' second unit featuring Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, and Morgan Rielly has been more effective over the team's first two games. Cowan scored Toronto's only power-play goal. Ice time is the best way for a coach to discipline his players, and Hiller has shown he is not afraid to use that option.
Hiller also went with the hot hand, relying on Cowan, Paul, and Colton Sissons. The third line was the Leafs' best on the night. He used a mix of these players along with Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime to kill penalties. Blueger, Duhaime, Paul, and Cowan led the Leafs' forwards in shorthanded time on ice.
Matthews played zero seconds while the Leafs were down a man. He and Marchenko led Toronto forwards with almost five minutes of power-play time. As Chayka foreshadowed with his offseason reshaping of the bottom six, Hiller let Matthews concentrate on offense, leaving the grunt work for the third and fourth lines.
It's only two games, but Hiller has also resisted the urge to shuffle the forward lines and is giving the mix of new and returning players the chance to develop chemistry. It's inevitable that he will have to shuffle lines at some point through injury or underperformance, but Hiller is showing patience to let forward combinations and defense pairings find their way.
Hiller's roster balancing and player accountability stand out over the Maple Leafs first two games. If he continues on this trajectory, the Maple Leafs might finally possess the firm leadership from the top they have been searching for.
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