New Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller is entrusting Cowan, entering his second season in the NHL, to kill penalties.
asserted
Hiller → entrust → penalties
“I think he’s going to be that guy,” said Hiller.
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Hiller → think → ?
“We all hope he turns into that guy, a guy who plays on the power play, plays on the penalty kill, plays in the top six, or complementing your checking line.
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who → hope → line
“We’re not saying he’s going to be out in the penalty kill to start the season, but we wanted to give him a good run.
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we → say → run
He’s got a lot to his game.”
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He → get → game
Cowan has always impressed as a bit of a water bug, a puck-hound, a player that never gives up.
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that → impress → bug
It’s what set him apart in junior as a London Knight and earned him a job as a rookie last season.
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what → ’ → rookie
Under coach Craig Berube, Cowan got precisely seven seconds of short-handed time on ice.
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Cowan → get → ice
He was an afterthought as far as Berube was concerned when it came to defending.
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it → concern → defending
On Wednesday night in the pre-season finale, however, Cowan got two minutes 23 seconds of short-handed time on ice, the second most among Leafs forwards.
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Cowan → get → forwards
The Senators went 0-for-4 on their power play, a night that included a brief 5-on-3.
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that → go → 5
“It was good getting out there,” said Cowan.
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Cowan → get → ?
“I killed a lot in junior (hockey).
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I → kill → hockey
Hopefully, I can keep it going.”
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I → keep → it
Linemate Colton Sissons, a right-handed shot who splits his time between centre and wing and made a career of being a reliable third-liner, likes what he sees so for in Cowan.
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he → split → Cowan
“He’s got good instincts, and that’s part of penalty-killing prowess,” said Sissons.
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Sissons → get → prowess
“He’s got a good stick.
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He → get → stick
He can read plays.
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He → read → plays
Because he’s an offensive player, he can read what other players are trying to do.
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players → ’ → what
I don’t see why he couldn’t have success on the kill.
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he → see → kill
He didn’t sulk when he was scratched last year.
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he → sulk → ?
He’s not jealous that rookie Gavin McKenna is gathering all the attention that used to come his way, or that McKenna has moved ahead of him on the depth chart.
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McKenna → ’ → chart
McKenna, for now, is the second-line left-winger, breathing new life into John Tavares and William Nylander.
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McKenna → breathe → Tavares
Cowan is the third-line left-winger, playing with Nick Paul and Sissons, a pair of big veterans, each with some offensive upside.
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Cowan → play → upside
Paul has eclipsed the 20-goal mark twice in his career.
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Paul → eclipse → career
Sissons reached 15 twice in his career.
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Sissons → reach → career
Those numbers would be in line with expectations for Cowan, who had 11 goals in his rookie year.
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who → have → year
Hiller seems ready to let offensive-minded players — with Cowan among them — to take a few chances to keep opponents on their heels.
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players → seem → heels
“We’ve had some good days, making plays,” Sissons said of the third line.
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Sissons → have → line
“Doing it in practice is one thing.
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Doing → do → practice
Doing in it in a game is another.
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Doing → do → game
We generated some looks.
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We → generate → looks
But Hiller also craves a steady, dependable, defensively responsible third line.
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Hiller → crave → line
Already, the plan might be in flux with Paul sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
uncertain
Paul → sideline → injury
Bo Groulx took over in practice this week.
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Groulx → take → practice
“It’s part of the game,” said Sissons.
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Sissons → ’ → game
“I like Bo.
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I → like → Bo
He’s so frigging fast.
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He → ’ → ?
He can really push the pace.”
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He → push → pace
Leafs notes
All the players the Leafs put on waivers on Thursday cleared.
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Leafs → note → Thursday
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
