Sabres @ Leafs - Oct. 15th, 7:00pm - TSN4

[azzurri63]

7 games in? Chill, man.

He’s handled him poorly all season. Not seeing the ice in overtime games. Not playing half the game tonight. I didn’t watch a lot of the game but my son did and he had no idea why he was benched. Was it deserving? Nobody seems to know so I’m thinking it was Hiller’s decision. McEwan 5 minutes Gavin 6 enough said.l

 

[Chris]

I don't really expect the Leafs to make the playoffs this year, but I thought the days of stupid hockey left with Berube. Guess not. Play to your strengths...get the lead and keep the pressure on. Hiller coached the end of that game in fear and the result was predictable.

 

[azzurri63]

Don't get the McKenna decision
Team should come first
Some of the Leafs forwards were gassed
OT is tailor made for McKenna

Yep but tell that to our braindead coach.

 

[cabber24]

Babcock 2.0

 

[cabber24]

I am fucking pissed. Get the fuck out of the way Hiller! Let the players decide what happens. Hiller needs to wear this one.

Turned a great game into a loss.

 

[L K]

I don't want to come down too hard on Bob but he's the second best goalie in the game in most of his starts so far

 

[cw]

This was the only goal against he was on the ice for but it happened 8 mins before his last shift

Buffalo Sabres - Toronto Maple Leafs - Oct 15, 2026 | NHL.com

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He didn't hustle back?
McKenna had no giveaways, no hits, no blocked shots, no takeaways
He took a 35 ft wrist shot on his last shift - a bunch in Buffalo's d-zone
9 shifts 6:36 total TOI
Don't get it

 

[4EVRLEAFAN]

I don't want to come down too hard on Bob but he's the second best goalie in the game in most of his starts so far

He certainly isn't playing like 7 million a year. I'm not going to make the call yet, but this has the makings of a dreadfully bad signing.

 

[cw]

He certainly isn't playing like 7 million a year.

Can't think of any goalies who won the Vezina at age 38 in the last 50 yrs (could be forgetting someone but it sure isn't common or to be expected)

 

[Chris]

So maybe a better strategy would be to not play the whole 3rd period in their own end...make it a little easier on their almost 40 year old goalie.

 

[dappleganger]

I can't wait to hear another idiotic quote from Hiller about McKenna and OT.

One of the fastest players in the league would have been well rested for OT. Should have used him.

I'm all for teaching lessons but this team has to get points.

 

[cw]

So maybe a better strategy would be to not play the whole 3rd period in their own end...make it a little easier on their almost 40 year old goalie.

Maybe just do that in the 2nd like they have been until tonight ... makes for a more fun finish ...

 

[Chris]

I don't think McKenna was particularly good tonight, but he also wasn't terrible. On that last goal he may not have hustled back but neither did Sissons, and he played a regular shift in the 3rd.

The more I think about it, the more this game pisses me off. So I'm not going to think about it any more.

 

[cabber24]

Hiller’s explanation? WTF is he talking about. Literally no reason … just didn’t play him? I cannot comprehend what just happened. Is this guy for real? Fucking why? Tell us.

 

[Bill_Berg]

Hiller’s explanation? WTF is he talking about. Literally no reason … just didn’t play him? I cannot comprehend what just happened. Is this guy for real? Fucking why? Tell us.

He forgot to play McKenna. That's what I got out of it.

 

[ZBBM]

I didn't see the game and so have no opinion that's informed. I'll merely observe that Chris Tanev is literally the most important player on the roster. As soon as he's out the team falls apart.

 

[L K]

This was the second time already he's pulled the "I was going to play him but didn't" line. Unacceptable

 

[herman]

They have a lot of assistant coaches. Maybe one of them should be assigned to monitoring TOI, eh?

 

[azzurri63]

Hiller’s explanation? WTF is he talking about. Literally no reason … just didn’t play him? I cannot comprehend what just happened. Is this guy for real? Fucking why? Tell us.

I just watched his post game comments. Makes absolutely no sense. What a buffoon.

 

[cw]

Portion of Transcript

Q: Why did (McKenna) sit the second half of the game?

A: Uh you know what, that was my decision.
9:57 Um we went for a stretch. I think we had those penalties. I wanted to get him out there. sat through those penalties and then I didn't get him out there um you know through that stretch and then you know last few minutes of the period we're just trying to you know get out of the period I guess you would say and then now he's I've sat him for so long and he sits in the intermission um so I probably should have got him out there early in the third uh I didn't so I'll talk to him about that

Q: did did you meet with him one on one yet or like as a coach do you want to talk to him about this?

A: yeah yeah I'll talk to him for sure yeah but I haven't talked to him yet

Q: how are you feeling about his game till that point?

A: Yeah. I mean, it was okay. It was okay. It was okay. It was fine. Again, the big thing is the penalties. He doesn't get to play. We get into the thing now. He hasn't played for 30 some odd minutes.

You know, we talked about getting him out in the third and and then it, you know, I guess just didn't happen, but that's on me. And then once we got into that stage, I I was said, I'm not going to put him out there now. I' sitting him there for 30 minutes. It's not fair to him.