Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller said this morning that John is going back on the power play tonight against Montreal.
The change comes after a rough patch with the man advantage. Toronto is 8-7-2 and fell 2-3 to Utah on Tuesday, its last game before tonight.
Mark Masters relayed Hiller's explanation: the power play had been "pretty good this year" with both Gavin and John, but it slipped in the last couple of games.
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The slip was a 0/4 stretch, according to Hiller. That's not a huge sample, but it was enough for the coach to go back to what worked earlier in the season.
Toronto can't afford many more cold nights. The Maple Leafs sit 7th in the Atlantic Division with 18 points, in a division where every point matters this early.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Boston Bruins | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | +24 |
| 2. Montreal Canadiens | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 | +6 |
| 3. Tampa Bay Lightning | 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 22 | +10 |
| 4. Ottawa Senators | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 21 | +2 |
| 5. Florida Panthers | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 20 | +5 |
| 6. Buffalo Sabres | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 19 | -4 |
| 7. Toronto Maple Leafs | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 18 | +6 |
| 8. Detroit Red Wings | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 | -3 |
Gavin McKenna gets the puck on the second unit
Hiller didn't frame this as a demotion for Gavin McKenna. He said McKenna "really becomes a focus" on the second group, where "the puck runs thru him."
That's a smart use of an 18-year-old. Instead of asking him to fit around established players, Toronto builds a unit around his playmaking and lets him drive it.
It also gives the Maple Leafs two looks. One group returns to a familiar setup, and the other becomes McKenna's to run.
Toronto's goal differential is +6, so the team isn't collapsing. But 19th in the NHL doesn't match the roster's expectations, and special teams is one of the quickest ways to fix that.
Tonight's puck drop against Montreal is the first test of the new arrangement. If the power play stays quiet, Hiller will face the same questions again by the next homestand.
Quick hits
MINNESOTA WILD: Michael McCarron is questionable for tonight against the Lightning. Michael Russo reports he did not finish the Wild's win over the Sharks, so keep an eye on warmups.
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BOSTON BRUINS: The Bruins have placed James Hagens on injured reserve and recalled Mikey Eyssimont from Providence, according to Conor Ryan. A quick roster fix, with no timeline in the report.
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UTAH MAMMOTH: Liam O'Brien and Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves in Montreal on Thursday night. The Mammoth now head to Ottawa, hopefully with fewer bruises.
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SEATTLE KRAKEN: The Kraken host the Rangers tonight, and the standings say third place while the +1 goal differential says something else. Tonight's game is a good gut check.
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VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Trevor Beggs writes that Tom Willander has quietly become the Canucks' most steady defenceman. He gets a big test tonight when Vancouver visits McDavid's Oilers.
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Is moving Gavin McKenna to the second power-play unit the right call for the Maple Leafs?
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