HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE
On what went into tonight’s win:
There’s a lot, obviously. We got the saves early, we clearly needed that. And then we just needed some time to find our game. This is a tough game today. There’s a lot of mental challenges and hurdles for our team coming into the game. You look at the fact that we’ve been rolling pretty well as a group and how the game went against Detroit last time we played them. We’re playing back-to-back, they’re here fresh and haven’t played since Tuesday. A lot of different things there. Then you’ve got the [Hutchinson] and the back-to-back factor, all that stuff. There’s a lot of things there for us. Obviously, we didn’t like how we dealt with it early, but once we found our game – in particular in the third period – I thought we were looking good.
On getting Hutchinson his first win:
It’s huge. It’s huge, of course, and all the attention will be on Hutch and I recognize, of course, why that has been a story. But, it’s also for our group. It’s not just Hutch that hasn’t done well in these games. Our team hasn’t done well in these games. It’s important for us to get a good result. In particular, with how it went in the third period especially, a lot of good things for us there that hopefully we can move past this whole thing for us now and it becomes any other game the way that it should be.
On what led to shuffling lines in the second period:
I just felt we kind of needed to mix it up a little bit and try to just change the chemistry and try to spark something and try to accept the rhythm of the game.
On if there were things missing from Kapanen and Nylander’s performances when they got less ice time in the second period:
Yes, there was. That line I just thought they didn’t get much going offensively. They were getting stalled in the neutral zone a lot. Also, I just didn’t really like the other lines and how things were moving so I just wanted to mix things up. I thought we got some really good shifts in that second period from the Gauthier line. I just kind of shortened things up and some guys didn’t play as much as others.
On if moving Marner and Hyman to Matthews’ wing was in the back of his mind or a spur of the moment idea:
I’ve got a number of things that are in the back of my mind all the time. It just kind of felt, like I said, like the Matthews line was getting stalled. I thought the Tavares line was doing fine. The Matthews line didn’t have much going on and I wanted to give Matthews a chance to get going and try to change that chemistry a little bit. I thought that with Mikheyev and Engvall with Tavares — I thought I could still trust that group playing against the Larkin line just fine. It worked out for today.
MICHAEL HUTCHINSON (29 SAVES)
On a making a couple big saves early to set the tempo:
It was big. There are always important saves in a game and that ended up being one very early on. I’ve sat on the bench watching Freddy make some big saves early on. This game I tried not to overthink things and just relax and let the game come to me. Like I said before the game, I feel like I’m in a good headspace right now, so I came in relaxed, waiting for the game to come to me. Once you do that the team that we have, once we have a little momentum going, we’re a tough team to stop. I was fortunate enough that I thought the guys played great, big blocked shots, we were back-checking and making them earn their chances and I was able to make some stops and in the third period we were able to open it up a bit.
On some of the challenges he faced earlier in the year:
It’s a challenge. I think I was doing a good job about it. Getting sent down is always difficult so then regaining and getting back into that good headspace is a process and you can’t do it on your own. It takes conversations with a lot of people. Steve [Briere] and I have a good relationship so it’s good to talk to him about things. There are other people in the Leafs and Marlies organization that you’re able to talk to openly and honestly and get yourself back into that good headspace where you’re able to feel good about yourself and feel positive and ready to play at your best when you get that opportunity.
ZACH HYMAN (2 GOALS, 1 ASSIST)
On if he thought his first goal was a goal prior to the review:
I thought it was going to be a penalty shot when they called the trip, so I didn’t see it go in or anything like that. Then I heard the buzzer and I’ve got a chance and then they called it a goal. I was happy, obviously.
On his backhand goal in the third period:
Yeah, it was a great way by Auston, kind of delaying and buying time. Then I was able to get some speed on it. I thought I was by myself there, so I just wanted to throw the back hand on net, and it went in.
MITCH MARNER (2 ASSISTS)
On the decision to switch up line combinations during the game tonight:
I think just the first period we were controlling the puck but making some careless plays and making some bad changes. We weren’t really playing too smart with the puck, but I think in the second and third we got control of it. In the second I still think we were a little reckless with it but it’s a big win for us. [Hutchinson] played great behind us there tonight so big credit to him.
On what playing with Matthews can do to opposing defences:
Hopefully scare them, I guess. We want to be a line that’s out there and that holds the puck and creates a lot of offence but, at the same time, we want to be responsible with that puck and make sure we’re responsible in our D-zone, covering our guys, getting back, helping out and not taking too long of shifts. Thought in the second and third we had good puck movement together, I thought we created a lot of offensive chances. It was a good game for us.
AUSTON MATTHEWS (2 GOALS, 1 ASSIST)
On Hyman scoring his backhand goal after being switched onto his wing:
I thought I was playing with Patrick Kane out there down the left wing. I don’t know, I think so far in the month that Sheldon [Keefe] has been here, he’s got a pretty good feel for the game and doesn’t mind switching things up. I think as players you don’t mind to see that if maybe something’s not working on a particular night to switch it up and see if you can kind of get something going. Tonight it worked.
On how it feels to get a win for Hutchinson:
It felt great. I mean, he made some unbelievable saves, especially early on in the game, they got behind us there — a couple breakaways — and then the second period, we were just not taking care of the puck in the neutral zone. He stayed with it. He made some big saves for us and I think everybody here is extremely happy for him. Obviously, you could hear the crowd chanting his name. It was just an awesome moment for him and an awesome moment for everybody.
The view from left field 