Easton Cowan's postgame comments show his fire after promotion to the Maple Leafs' top line
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs rookie Easton Cowan showed some accountability though not without some fire behind his comments after being promoted to the top line.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the past few games have been a much better showing overall, and although they've lost two of their last three games, they looked more like the team fans have come to expect, with some bad luck and bounces thrown in.
Coming away with a 3-2 OT loss to the Blue Jackets on Thursday, the team had several big chances to seal the deal but couldn't find the back of the net even with constant pressure on goaltender Jet Greaves.
One player who had several chances was rookie Easton Cowan, who was shifted to the top line part way through the game and took part in a beautiful give and go with John Tavares that led to the game-tying goal.
But he didn't capitalize on his scoring chances, and admitted he needed to be better.
What Easton Cowan said after his top-line audition with the Maple Leafs
Speaking to reporters after the loss on Thursday, Cowan was blunt in his self-assessment and explained that if he's getting to play on the top line, he needs to start converting:
I take responsibility. I got to bury one. If I bury one of them, we could've won the game. So, that's the unfortunate part. But just gotta stay positive. I've got to capitalize. I'm getting chances, I've just got to bury one of them since I'm out there a lot. If I bury one of them, we could have won the game.
Cowan had one assist, finished plus-2, had four shots on goal, two blocks and two hits all while showing relentless energy and was a consistent thorn in the side of the Blue Jackets defense with his constant forechecking.
How Easton Cowan's reaction shows the standard he expects from himself in Toronto
It shows a great level of maturity from Cowan to understand that being on the top unit means putting in the work, but he shouldn't hang his head too low about his performance against Columbus.
There's something special brewing with Cowan, but that is going to take time, and his accountability for not burying a goal is admirable even if it might lead to some unintended consequences.
If Cowan puts too much pressure on himself to score, it could detract from other important parts of his game which isn't conducive to healthy development as a player.
He's not brash or cocky, and he's not saying that it relies solely on him but knowing the talent he has, Cowan expects his skills to translate at a faster pace which isn't a bad thing, but could affect his confidence if he struggles.
But it shows that the mentality around the locker room feels different, as players are taking more responsibility instead of pointing fingers elsewhere.
The goals will come for Easton Cowan and he will need to be patient. If his performance on Thursday is any indication, that will come much sooner than later.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 21|1433 ANSWERS Easton Cowan's postgame comments show his fire after promotion to the Maple Leafs' top line Does Easton Cowan deserve a top-six spot in the Maple Leafs lineup? | ||
| Yes | 1114 | 77.7 % |
| No | 319 | 22.3 % |
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