Why Maple Leafs' Nick Paul puts it on himself to be better in wake of John Tavares injury
The veteran forward suffered a lower-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night
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John Tavares won’t be in game action for a while.
The Maple Leafs announced on Saturday morning that the wily veteran will be out of the lineup on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury.
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“John was playing well,” Leafs coach Jim Hiller said after the team held its morning skate at the Ford Performance Centre. “That’s a tough one for us, on the heels of Tanny (Chris Tanev) too. Those are two veteran players and we have to find a way.
“Week-to-week, whatever that means. Hopefully that means (just) two, I guess.”
The Leafs clarified later on Saturday the following, in regard to the prognosis of injuries: Day-to-day (a week or less), week-to-week (one to six weeks), month-to-month (more than six weeks).
Tavares was hurt in the third period of the Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss against the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night.
The 36-year-old was the only Leafs player to skate in all 82 games last season. For the most part, Tavares’ durability has been a hallmark in Toronto since he signed with the Leafs in the summer of 2018.
With Tavares out, the Leafs didn’t recall anyone from the Toronto Marlies to take his lineup spot against the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
There is one veteran forward, though, who expects more out of himself.
That would be centre Nick Paul, who will get an increased role with Tavares on the shelf. Paul has been on ice for 10 goals against at five-on-five, tied for the third-most on the Leafs.
Paul, acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning in July, has one goal and three assists in nine games. He didn’t factor in the scoring in the Leafs’ 4-1 loss against the Islanders on Saturday.
Where does Paul think he can improve?
“I don’t know, I think I have played okay,” Paul told the Toronto Sun on Saturday. “I would like to hold on to the puck a little more and do what I am used to down low, making plays down low, getting loose pucks, carrying it out.
“There has not been enough of that for me, in my opinion, holding onto pucks, winning battles low and creating plays out of the corner.”
Hiller didn’t see it that way.
“He might be being a little bit hard on himself,” Hiller said. “He’s one of those guys who does so many things that don’t necessarily end up on the scoresheet.
“Faceoffs, the penalty kill, forecheck, there are a lot of won battles on the walls and in the D zone. I’m happy he has high expectations for his game, but he provides a lot, in a lot of different areas. Him and (Colton) Sissons are similar that way.”
Tanev, on the sideline with an upper-body injury and out on a week-to-week basis as well, skated in the morning with Nik Antropov of the Leafs’ development staff.
“No update, but any time you see a guy on the ice, it’s a positive,” Hiller said.
Tavares was off to a good start offensively, as he has seven points (two goals and five assists) in seven games, but he had been moved to the left wing on Thursday to start the game against Buffalo. He was hurt during an awkward collision with the Sabres’ Josh Norris.
What does Hiller think of Cowan’s play?
Against the Islanders, Paul played with Easton Cowan and Kirill Marchenko, fresh off a hat trick against the Sabres, on his wings.
“I thought Easton played extremely well in that last game,” Hiller said. “Cowboy was the one guy I thought in the third period had a lot of energy. He was still F1 on the forecheck, created a little bit. We will probably end up leaning on him a little bit more.
“Easton is now on the penalty kill, he is on the power play, he is getting in all scenarios, but he has earned them. I talked to him this summer and in training camp, said are you ready (for an increased role), he said, ‘Yes, I am ready for this, I can do this.’
“He has answered the bell at every turn. It’s great to see.”
The projected Maple Leafs lineup for Saturday:
FORWARDS
LW-C-RW
Jack Roslovic-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Easton Cowan-Nick Paul-Kirill Marchenko
Bo Groulx-Colton Sissons-Gavin McKenna
Brandon Duhaime-Teddy Blueger-Zack MacEwen
DEFENCE
Jake McCabe-Darren Raddysh
Morgan Rielly-Troy Stecher
Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Nick Blankenburg
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
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