Easton Cowan Replaced on the Top Line After a Tough Night Against the Rangers
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Easton Cowan found himself benched for the third period against the Rangers after a tough game led to Craig Berube to make a big change.
It was a goalie battle on Thursday night as both Anthony Stolarz and Igor Shesterkin put on a clinic, with both making spectacular save after spectacular save although it was the Maple Leafs netminder who came away with the 2-1 OT victory.
Auston Matthews sealed the deal in the extra frame thanks to a gorgeous feed from William Nylander; who has been trying his best to be 2025's version of Mitch Marner with seven assists through five games and they finally got a power play goal thanks to Matthew Knies (again, from Nylander).
But someone who really wasn't a factor in the game, at least when it came to the final frame and overtime was rookie Easton Cowan.
A Challenging Night for Easton Cowan Against the Rangers
Although he started the game on the top line with Matthews and Knies, when it came to the third period he ended up only skating in two shifts and being benched the remainder of the game.
He did have a couple shots but also gave the puck away five times; so clearly Craig Berube had enough. Though it was his replacement who may have surprised a few people.
Bobby McMann was seen skating alongside Knies and Matthews along with a litany of other players including Calle Jarnkrok, but Berube wanted to ride the hot hand of McMann; who coincidentally was on the ice for a few goals alongside the top line.
It shows that whatever McMann was told by Berube has started to work, and he's quickly earning his trust.
A workhorse everywhere, McMann has three points, 22 hits, a plus-2, five blocks and 10 shots and while it's early in the season, he's been very solid defensively and giving opponents headaches.
But not all is hopeless for the rookie, as it could just be a case of giving him the rest of the night off to reset.
Craig Berube Explains Why He Benched Easton Cowan
While it might have been a bummer for Cowan, there was a method behind the madness, as Craig Berube had his reasons for keeping the youngster on the neck, which he addressed post-game:
The game in general more than anything, I think our team lacked a little energy so I was trying to find some lines and energy together. Lot of hockey here and we play Saturday, so we gotta save up some energy.
Why Load Management Could Be Key for the Rookie
But hey, he's still young and it's only his third game of his career. There are going to be growing pains, and a team like New York; who are quite nasty and relentless to play against at times, it was rough.
He is also coming off a back-to-back and the rigors of an NHL schedule and workload is much heavier than in junior hockey, and there's no maliciousness behind the benching; it's making sure he doesn't get worn out.
Yes he probably has enough energy to power a city, but the body can only handle so much and you don't want to risk overexerting Cowan then leading to him getting injured.
Craig Berube probably went to the rookie after the game and gave him a pat on the back and a 'you'll get 'em next time kid'. Clearly he loves what Cowan brings and understands the ebbs and flows that comes with a first-year player.
So while Thursday night was a tough night for Easton Cowan, this is the toughest league in all of professional hockey, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are confident that their prized prospect can turn it around.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 17 | 1168 ANSWERS Easton Cowan Replaced on the Top Line After a Tough Night Against the Rangers Did Craig Berube do the right or wrong thing by benching Easton Cowan? | ||
| Good Thing | 813 | 69.6 % |
| Bad Thing | 355 | 30.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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