The Russian winger arrived in time to play Tuesday’s season opener against the Montreal Canadiens.
asserted
winger → arrive → Canadiens
“I was able to relax a little bit,” said Marchenko.
asserted
Marchenko → relax → ?
“I played with my cat and tried not to think about hockey too much, especially after the last two games.”
asserted
I → play → games
His wife Viktoria is also with him, navigating Toronto and trying to find a place to live.
asserted
wife → navigate → place
“My cat (Alex) is here, my wife is here, they support me and help me.
asserted
they → support → me
That’s important.”
asserted
That → ’ → ?
“There’s a lot more that goes on outside the rink,” said Leafs defenceman Troy Stecher, with his seventh NHL team.
asserted
Stecher → ’ → team
“That’s where the stress and added pressure comes from.
asserted
stress → ’ → where
Guys are trying to find new houses, or trying to find school districts if they have kids, or maybe their wives are trying to find new jobs.
asserted
wives → try → jobs
It’s going to take some games and some practice to feel confident in your systems.”
asserted
It → go → systems
Marchenko agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $12.5 million (U.S.) per season starting next year.
asserted
Marchenko → agree → season
The trade also cost the Leafs top-line forward Matthew Knies, who scored twice in his debut with the Blue Jackets in Columbus.
asserted
who → cost → Columbus
Marchenko has landed on the top line with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic, a unit that will still be looking for its first goal when the Ottawa Senators pay a visit Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.
asserted
Senators → land → Arena
They have looked terrific together, though — fast and creative with eight high-danger chances for and only one against.
asserted
They → look → chances
They’ve been in the offensive zone more than 70 per cent of the time, but have yet to actually score.
asserted
They → have → time
“Played two games with zero practice, kind of tough,” said Marchenko.
asserted
Marchenko → play → practice
We have to build chemistry.”
asserted
We → have → chemistry
“I get the sense from (Marchenko) that he really just loves hockey, loves being out on the ice, he loves to practise,” said Hiller.
asserted
Hiller → get → ice
“They’re going to have to find a little chemistry.
asserted
They → go → chemistry
They were able to accomplish that today.”
asserted
They → accomplish → that
Marchenko shoots right and is playing in Knies’ old spot on left wing.
asserted
Marchenko → shoot → wing
“In Russia, I grew up a left-winger,” he said.
asserted
he → grow → Russia
“It’s my side for my whole life.
asserted
It → ’ → life
Only in NHL have I played right.
asserted
I → play → NHL
It’s a little different, but the game right now is so fast, sometimes you’re in the middle, sometimes on the right.
asserted
you → ’ → right
Just happy to play.”
It doesn’t matter to Hiller, either.
asserted
It → play → Hiller
“I prefer players on their offhand,” the coach said.
asserted
coach → prefer → offhand
“Not all of them like to play that way, but the ones that do have a lot of success.
asserted
that → like → success
Everybody’s so aggressive now with pinches on the (boards), you can protect the puck a little bit better, you don’t expose it so much.
asserted
you → ’ → it
And when you come in over the blue line, it’s easier to cut in on your forehand and be a threat to shoot in the middle.
asserted
it → come → middle
Hiller has delivered some of the same messages that former coach Craig Berube used: pass less, be more direct, create a little chaos.
asserted
Berube → deliver → chaos
“We’ve got to get pucks a little deeper at certain times and play a little more in the offensive zone,” said Hiller.
asserted
Hiller → get → zone
“That’s the big solution.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Right now we’re deferred a little bit, trying to find the perfect play.
asserted
we → defer → play
Nobody wants to be the selfish player, but I think we have to shoot the puck.”
asserted
we → want → puck
The second line with John Tavares, William Nylander and rookie Gavin McKenna has struggled mightily.
asserted
line → struggle → Tavares
They haven’t had a high-danger chance at even strength and have been on the ice for nine against.
asserted
They → have → nine
Nylander was benched after a bad pinch led to an Islanders short-handed goal.
asserted
pinch → bench → goal
“We really like the line,” said Hiller.
asserted
Hiller → like → line
“Sometimes you can overthink things, change things around.
asserted
you → overthink → things
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
