New Maple Leafs McKenna and Roslovic clicked against Ottawa

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Their first pre-season points came on separate goals, but it was the kind of kismet the Maple Leafs hope Gavin McKenna and Jack Roslovic can generate on their respective top lines.

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With a stop-on-a-dime decoys, rookie McKenna reversed field and forced the Ottawa Senators into a hooking call, with new top trio right winger Roslovic converting on the ensuing power play.

That was just part of a big night for the duo on Wednesday in a 6-1 win in split squad circumstances at Scotiabank Arena. McKenna had added his first unofficial assist earlier, sending away linemates William Nylander and John Tavares, then was briefly added to Auston Matthews and Roslovic’s left wide amid wider juggling when Nick Paul left the game in the second period because of an undisclosed issue.

McKenna’s feed allowed his landlord Tavares a perfectly executed finish, his shifty moves to open up ice for himself getting Bay Street buzzing all evening.

It was the proactive uptick in the 18-year-old’s game that Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller was hoping for.

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“I’m looking to see if he makes some subtle adjustments.” Hiller said Wednesday morning. “I’ve talked to him about what’s different in a pre-season game versus a hard camp scrimmage and he identified some things.

“Pretty naturally, he understands how the game goes. He thinks it at a really high level. I tell him what I’m thinking, try to get some of his feedback. I find him humble and really willing to learn.”

Nylander also surprised McKenna with a drop pass in the slot, of which the kid will have to get used to.

Also showing more dash at 5-on-5 than in Saturday’s penalty-filled, momentum-killing loss to the Montreal Canadiens were Matthews and Roslovic alongside Matthew Knies. Hiller had been hoping for more of a cycle effort to enhance their opportunities, and they certainly responded.

Roslovic, who had been set up by Matthews and Tavares on the power play, reciprocated for Matthews for a top-corner flick as the winning margin mounted.

“I want to see more,” Hiller had said previously. “If you’re hoping to play on the top line, you have to create that, can’t just be a rush line.”

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The bountiful night for the offence with most of the Senators’ best playing the secondary Leafs in Ottawa (a 4-2 Toronto win), saw Morgan Rielly’s first game with partner Darren Raddysh. While Raddysh is a hard-shot marksman, he chose a pass to Rielly, who made a nice fake before wristing a second-period goal.

Zack MacEwan, up to the third line in Paul’s absence, added a goal on Easton Cowan’s feed and a fight. Jake McCabe moved up for Toronto’s first strike on a Tavares rebound. That tied it after Tim Stutzle dangled the only goal on 14 shots against Sergei Bobrovsky. But Stutzle was denied on a third-period 5-on-3 by Bobrovsky’s glove.

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby

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