Zach Attack

Zach and the Devils

Zach Hyman was standing outside the visitor’s locker room in the Prudential Center answering questions from a reporter when Mitch Marner passed by. Marner couldn’t help interrupting Hyman’s answer.

“Yeah, there’s no one better than me,” said Marner, in an attempt to playfully mock Hyman’s answer.
It might have been a comment made in jest, but there’s some truth to Marner pumping his teammate’s tires. After missing the first 19 games of the season following an ACL injury in last year’s playoffs, then enduring a relatively slow start that saw him net just three points in his first 10 games back, Hyman has scored seven points in his past three games. His power-play goal in the first period of Toronto’s 5-4 overtime win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday was just the second power-play goal of his career, both of which have come this season.

Hyman now has nine goals and 15 points through 20 games, which puts him on pace for 28 goals in a shortened season. Sure, he’s probably not going to keep up his 17.4 shooting percentage, but the perception of what Hyman is within the Leafs is starting to change.
Once regarded largely as a player who excelled on the forecheck by hunting down the puck for his linemates, Hyman is beginning to be viewed as more than a puck hunter by head coach Sheldon Keefe.
“The thing that’s really impressed me is just the poise that he’s showing with the puck,” Keefe said. “He’s making plays himself, he’s not just, you know, winning puck battles letting the others come in to clean it up, but he’s getting them the puck and actually moving into good spots.”
And Keefe isn’t alone in his assertion.
Minutes before Keefe spoke after the game, Leafs captain John Tavares offered up similar praise.
“The poise he’s playing with, he’s seeing the ice real well and finding his linemates,” Tavares said of Hyman.
“I think he’s got a lot better touch around the net than people give him credit for,” added Tavares. “You can see he’s got good timing and good body position, and he gets his stick on the puck a lot. Good to see him get rewarded.”
Poise probably isn’t the first word that would have come to mind in association with Hyman’s name over the past few seasons. He had a role, and it was one he excelled at, but it wasn’t one that garnered headlines.
Yet as of late, Hyman’s poise — that word again — and ensuing point production has helped propel the Leafs. And production from players like Hyman could ease the burden of having three forwards sidelined by injury, including Trevor Moore out indefinitely with a concussion, Andreas Johnsson still out with a leg injury and the possible long-term loss of Ilya Mikheyev after a laceration to his wrist on Friday night. (More on that in a bit.)
Hyman, 27, has always been a respectable offensive producer. His point totals have increased in each of his four NHL seasons, with 21 goals and 41 points in 71 games last season, good value for his $2.25 million cap hit.
Those offensive numbers were seen as a byproduct of his dogged determination deep in the offensive zone. He was adored by previous Leafs coach Mike Babcock for his ability to create scoring chances for his skilled linemates with his forechecking.
“Hyman’s good, eh?” Babcock notably said in October when asked by The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel about the adjustment period for Tavares with Hyman lost to injury.
But now, that newfound skill and confidence with the puck are part of an evolution in Hyman’s game that, in a sense, shows that Babcock isn’t the only coach who can appreciate how vital he is to the Leafs.


And also, that perhaps there could be another level to Hyman’s game unleashed this season.
“Guys like playing with him,” said Keefe, “and a lot of good things happen when he’s out there.”
Hyman laughs awkwardly when he’s told that he’s now on pace for 28 goals for his shortened season. He concedes that he sets goals for himself, but they’re not statistical in nature.
“The key to success is to do what you do best and try not to be someone else or just try to be yourself and be the best version of yourself, right? I think that that’s really important. No matter who you are is to do what got you to the NHL for a reason. You can expand your game but make sure that you keep what makes you,” said Hyman.
Babcock used Hyman’s strengths accordingly, especially on the penalty kill, where he was routinely one of the Leafs’ most deployed forwards. But his power-play time was limited. In his three full seasons as a Leaf, his highest average time on ice with the man advantage was just 15 seconds per game, in the 2018-19 season.
But since Keefe has taken over the Leafs, Hyman’s power-play time has increased to 28 seconds per game.
“Something that I’ve learned, playing the role that I play, is that what makes me effective is doing those things and then when you have the chance to do something else and make a play then go out and make the play, right?” said Hyman.
Sure, it’s not a spot on the first unit, but it’s a sign from Keefe that he believes there is another layer to Hyman’s game. Hyman might have been on the ice for only 10 seconds of power-play time Friday night, but he made the most of it, as he has throughout December.
Hyman banging in a rebound in front of the net to open the scoring for the Leafs wasn’t pretty, but it was a goal on the power play that might not have come under Babcock. His goal comes less than a week after his two-goal effort against the Detroit Red Wings that included a backhanded goal on his own that looked unlike anything Hyman had in his toolbox.
“I thought I was playing with Patrick Kane out there down the left wing,” Auston Matthews said after the win against the Red Wings. “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.”
We’ve seen Keefe not be afraid to take very different approaches with the Leafs lineup, be it with their style of play or juggling lines. On Friday, Hyman skated with Marner and Matthews after previously skating on a line with Tavares.
And another element of that change comes in the form of trying to entice more skill out of players wherever possible, all while not changing a player’s makeup completely.
When Keefe was hired, he said that he wasn’t “focused on what this team isn’t. I’m focused on what this team is.” It was assumed he was referring to some of the Leafs’ bigger stars.
The list of players who have benefitted under Keefe includes Marner, Jason Spezza and Justin Holl. It’s probably fair to include Hyman on that list, which is interesting given how big of a favourite Hyman was for Babcock.

Hyman’s play is an early affirmation of Keefe’s insistence on rewarding production with more opportunity. Hyman’s play could force Keefe’s hand when he does finally get his full lineup back and healthy. Maybe he continues to use Hyman on the power play and give him more ice time when the offensively inclined Johnsson comes back into the lineup.

In Hyman’s past seven games alone, he has logged more than 21 minutes of ice time on three occasions. He had not previously played more than 21 minutes three times in a season once throughout his NHL career.
Right now, what’s certain is that Hyman is benefitting from the opportunities Keefe is providing, and he’s showcasing how dynamic a player he can be.
“You’ve just got to stay the course and try to progressively get better every year and try to improve on what you need to improve on,” said Hyman.

---

Mikheyev leaves game after scary incident

As forward Ilya Mikheyev ditched his gloves and hurriedly skated across the ice toward the trainer’s room after being accidentally cut by Devils forward Jesper Bratt’s skate on his right wrist, the Leafs watched in shock.
“It’s terrifying,” said goalie Michael Hutchinson.
A trail of blood was left on the ice.
“All of a sudden, I could see a ton of blood coming from somewhere and a lot more than a usual high stick or anything like that,” said Hutchinson.
The Leafs said Mikheyev suffered a significant laceration to his wrist. Keefe confirmed after the game that Mikheyev would spend the night in a hospital.
“The bench was a little shaken at the time, and it seemed like every stoppage in play the guys are kind of looking for an update,” said Keefe. “They’re concerned about their teammate.”
There weren’t additional details available after the game, but Mikheyev’s health was understandably front of mind for the Leafs.
“I think first and foremost, we’re thinking about (Mikheyev) and hopefully he’s OK,” said Tavares. “It was obviously scary there, seeing that much blood. Obviously, a guy that we care deeply about and was having a great night and playing tremendous for us, so thoughts are with him. I think even after that, emotionally, that can hit you a little bit when you see something that can be as dangerous as something like that.”
“It’s bigger than the game when something like that happens,” said Hyman. “Right now, you want to make sure that first and foremost your friend and your teammate is OK because it’s a scary thing to happen.”
Mikheyev’s injury comes after New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck was accidentally cut on the wrist by Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron’s skate Dec. 19.
“It seems to be more frequent these days than it was even when I played,” said Keefe. “I’m not sure if that’s actually the case, but it seems to be. It’s unfortunate. There’s been lots done to try to prevent these types of things, but some of it isn’t preventable, of course. It’s the nature of the game, but we’ve got to continue to find ways to prevent it as best we can.”