{"time":1792130137886,"blocks":[{"id":"lT_64tSjqR","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Kirill Marchenko delivered the kind of night the Maple Leafs envisioned when they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets just before the season. The 26-year-old scored three times, including a highlight-reel between-the-legs power-play goal, in his 300th NHL game. It was not enough."}},{"id":"uC0OUtuRZ-","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The Buffalo Sabres erased a 4-2 deficit with two third-period goals and Owen Power finished it 3:14 into overtime, beating Sergei Bobrovsky for a 5-4 Toronto Maple Leafs loss at Scotiabank Arena. Jack Quinn added two goals and two assists. The Leafs (3-3-2) outshot Buffalo 15-8 in the first period and held a two-goal lead late in the second, yet managed only four shots in the third while the Sabres generated 11. Final shot totals were 34-30 in Buffalo’s favour. Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 34; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves on 30."}},{"id":"q0iBrIiR52","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The result left familiar questions about defensive structure, third-period execution, and how the coaching staff can bungle the usage of their No. 1 overall draft pick from the 2026 Draft."}},{"id":"mvajt76x","type":"video","data":{"url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/dc27de12-0a98-424b-aced-e24762f5fa23/mp4","caption":"","autoplay":false,"controls":true,"muted":false,"stretched":true,"width":0,"height":0,"image":{"url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/dc27de12-0a98-424b-aced-e24762f5fa23/thumbnail"},"cdn":{"videoId":"dc27de12-0a98-424b-aced-e24762f5fa23","libraryId":"372172","collectionId":"30032062-eefd-4041-a355-12ad05bc987b","cdnBaseUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net","mp4Url":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/dc27de12-0a98-424b-aced-e24762f5fa23/mp4","thumbnailUrl":"https://media-cdn.roundtable.io/media-service/videos/dc27de12-0a98-424b-aced-e24762f5fa23/thumbnail","previewAnimationUrl":"https://vz-052fc010-b27.b-cdn.net/dc27de12-0a98-424b-aced-e24762f5fa23/preview.webp"}}},{"id":"64tOEHwceW","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Marchenko’s arrival finally looks the part"}},{"id":"XqdI1PfBiR","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Marchenko’s first goal came 13:10 into the opening period on the power play. John Tavares worked the puck from the slot; Marchenko slid it between his own legs and lifted it past Luukkonen. He added a second at 11:13 of the second on a feed from Tavares and completed the hat trick at 16:51 with a one-timer set up by Colton Sissons and Easton Cowan. It was Marchenko’s fifth career hat trick and his first multi-goal game in a Leafs jersey after scoring once in his first seven games following the trade that sent Matthew Knies the other way."}},{"id":"ReSJzp5Zw8","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Coach Jim Hiller called the goals “big time” and noted the “dynamism” the Leafs had been waiting on. "}},{"id":"WQvPBMzNku","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“You can’t be that talented and not score,” Hiller said. “So it’s going to come like we saw tonight.”"}},{"id":"NPVGtH_rGZ","type":"embed","data":{"service":"youtube","source":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05oOkYHZJS8","embed":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/05oOkYHZJS8","width":580,"height":320,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"YouTube","description":"Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.","image":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/img/desktop/yt_1200.png","type":"png"}}}},{"id":"3kM5y157Hd","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Marchenko himself described the goals as pure skill and pointed to his long reach. He framed the night as a lesson rather than a celebration. "}},{"id":"naJPDw2du7","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“You either win, or you have a lesson to learn and get better,” he said. “I think it was a good lesson for us. I think we give up lots of chances, 5-on-5… We still give up a little too much in the third.”"}},{"id":"Pr-f6o4Ipv","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The between-the-legs finish generated the most immediate reaction of the night. As replays of the goal were shown at Scotiabank Arena, the crowd gasped in amazement each time they saw Marchenko put his stick between the legs to score. The sequence also underscored why the organization prioritized him over Knies in the pre-season deal. Early-season shot metrics with Marchenko on the ice had already looked stronger than those without him in several accounts; Thursday provided the finishing touch that had been missing."}},{"id":"1_q9SwTf0h","type":"embed","data":{"service":"youtube","source":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSfPfcJu2Ko","embed":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/RSfPfcJu2Ko","width":580,"height":320,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"YouTube","description":"Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.","image":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/img/desktop/yt_1200.png","type":"png"}}}},{"id":"S1kgheORjR","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Third-period passiveness and the missing shutdown presence"}},{"id":"9R69uNgCCi","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The Leafs led 4-2 with less than four minutes remaining in the second. From roughly the 11-minute mark of the third onward, Hiller said, Buffalo simply started coming and Toronto had no answer. "}},{"id":"BKOZ_Cp2tS","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“We made some mistakes. In those moments, I know it’s hard when you’re on your heels. You just have to be able to have a little poise and somebody to make a play… We just couldn’t make two plays in a row.”"}},{"id":"1SC4Dnj1KS","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Hiller added that the team has looked more passive in its own zone over the last three or four games than it did earlier in the season. Auston Matthews offered a slightly different view of the process. He thought the Leafs took care of the puck for the most part in the third and that the goals against stemmed from a point shot with traffic and a miscommunication on a three-on-two or three-on-three. "}},{"id":"UTykunK9Be","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://x.com/BuffaloSabres/status/2110908040027197758?s=20","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=2110908040027197758","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) on X","site_name":"X (formerly Twitter)","description":"A Sammy snipe to tie it up‼️\n\n#LetsGoBuffalo","image":{"url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2110907465160134658/img/IDjzORACKoUl0U-A?format=webp&name=large","type":"image/webp","width":"1920","height":"1080"}}}},{"id":"MG6BNLIzWq","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Still, Matthews acknowledged the need for all five players to be on the same page, particularly against mobile defensemen. "}},{"id":"92XNt6ZLeJ","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“The forwards, I think, need to do a better job of supporting our D in all areas of the defensive zone.”"}},{"id":"jG8mGeg96i","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Bobrovsky, who faced the bulk of the Sabres’ volume, echoed the volume concern. "}},{"id":"x-9jXIiAuv","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“We give up lots of chances, 5-on-5, and I think it can be cleaned up… we still give up a little too much in the third.” "}},{"id":"hPT95-b0nn","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"He also reflected on the absence of Chris Tanev, currently sidelined with an upper-body injury and described by both Bobrovsky and Marchenko as an elite shutdown defenceman. "}},{"id":"FVMfYQa5HH","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"He’s literally in the locker room too, so it’s a big loss for us, definitely,” Marchenko said."}},{"id":"SfqDDZ5_Nt","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The Leafs dominated the shot share through 40 minutes, including a 66 percent dominance over Buffalo in th second period. The Sabres dominated in the third period with a 78 percent shot share according to NaturalStatTrick.com. Toronto controlled the early share of shots and scoring chances; the third period reversed it. Face-off percentage favoured the Leafs (roughly 56 percent), and they went 1-for-3 on the power play while Buffalo was 0-for-2. Those edges were not enough once Buffalo pushed."}},{"id":"kyMAaTyNY5","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Tavares injury adds immediate uncertainty"}},{"id":"vAHj7-pFrx","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Tavares left early in the third after a collision with Josh Norris and did not return. He had already recorded two assists. Hiller had no update afterward. "}},{"id":"1BWVYimb6o","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://x.com/TSN_Sports/status/2110903107039432783?s=20","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=2110903107039432783","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"TSN (@TSN_Sports) on X","site_name":"X (formerly Twitter)","description":"John Tavares has returned to the locker room after an awkward collision with the Sabres' Josh Norris.","image":{"url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2110902646949183488/img/w06bXWedTU09DaSy?format=webp&name=large","type":"image/webp","width":"1920","height":"1080"}}}},{"id":"E-hnhLyhQN","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Matthews said the team has to keep playing and that lines will be shuffled, but the concern is obvious. Tavares has been a stabilizing presence and, at times this season, a mentor figure for the younger forwards. His early exit coincided with the period in which Toronto lost its structure. "}},{"id":"BVuMeM35PO","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Tavares started the game on the left wing, a role he had not been slotted in since the 2022-2023 regular season. "}},{"id":"lx9H22vWsN","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"McKenna’s limited minutes and the long-term view"}},{"id":"eqb2Q99TC4","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Gavin McKenna, the 2026 first-overall pick, played 6:36 and did not see the ice after the midway point of the second period. Hiller said it was his decision. McKenna sat through penalties, the coach did not get him back out before the intermission, and by the third Hiller was unwilling to insert an 18-year-old after such a long layoff. "}},{"id":"uilxhvv94_","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“I’ll talk to him for sure… I haven’t talked to him yet.”"}},{"id":"o5EzJ_se4E","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/2110929899049619604?s=20","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=2110929899049619604","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) on X","site_name":"X (formerly Twitter)","description":"\"That was my decision... I probably should have gotten him out there early in the third.\"\n\nJim Hiller addresses Gavin McKenna's ice time in the Maple Leafs' OT loss to the Sabres.","image":{"url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2110928955574214656/img/Fa4q8r6l2_Z8lpIa?format=webp&name=large","type":"image/webp","width":"1280","height":"720"}}}},{"id":"Qt-1tZOGvd","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Hiller described McKenna’s game to that point as “okay” and “fine,” and said he has not seen a pattern of the teenager taking things too personally. "}},{"id":"XSXNLmDHml","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“He’s usually ready to go. There’s been other times I haven’t played him as much… and you know, he’s responded.” Matthews reinforced the message that the group has McKenna’s back and that a night like this can make him hungrier."}},{"id":"JHLSszCqxR","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The ice-time decision and explantion was puzzling. In the broader context of an 18-year-old getting his first regular NHL minutes, the episode is one data point. Hiller’s stated comfort with McKenna’s maturity and the plan to speak with him directly suggest the organization is treating it as a manageable moment rather than a larger issue. "}},{"id":"PKe9-pjx9g","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://x.com/davidalter/status/2110921344301039765?s=20","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=2110921344301039765","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"David Alter (@davidalter) on X","site_name":"X (formerly Twitter)","description":"As a coach, do you talk to him about that? \n\n“Yeah, yeah. I'll talk to him for sure. Yeah, but I haven't talked to him yet.”","image":{"url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1925001266616279041/8ea-5IBG_400x400.jpg","type":"image/jpeg","width":"400","height":"400"}}}},{"id":"u8gF0PZtcZ","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"This type of mistake so early puts the confidence of the head coach into question. How do you forget about one of your more talented players. When Tavares got hurt, it should have been an easy call. The Leafs looked tired on this night, having just flown home from Utah the day before. Perhaps you could use the young energy."}},{"id":"cyaYnK_qFq","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"McKenna, despite being requested, was not made available for comment due to a team decision. His thoughts on this won’t be known until Saturday when the club host the New York Islanders."}},{"id":"srDHSkJnES","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"What the night revealed"}},{"id":"vSOH_im8tE","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The Leafs have the talent offensively and it’s certainly been their strength. But they have issues on the back end. Outside of Darren Raddysh, the rest of the defense looked tired and slow and couldn’t lock it down when needed. Toronto has offense. Scoring four goals should be enough to win the game. And given McKenna was on the bench to watch most of it, just forgetting about putting the player out there is inexcusable unless he was covering for some other undisclosed reason. "}},{"id":"GU2cQrFVQZ","type":"embed","data":{"service":"youtube","source":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62vGimP9R38","embed":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/62vGimP9R38","width":580,"height":320,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"YouTube","description":"Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.","image":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/img/desktop/yt_1200.png","type":"png"}}}},{"id":"xFX8ZtMK6J","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source"}},{"id":"26ubYbxc1j","type":"image","data":{"caption":"","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/85d789dc-acae-4f96-a68d-02a9a1c4b84e.jpeg"}}},{"id":"0KbiFNH7pD","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum."}}],"version":"2.31.6"}

Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Former Maple Leafs Lead Goaltending Evaluator Jon Elkin