The setback in regulation to the Calgary Flames wasn’t the only loss suffered by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday evening in what was their final appearance at the Scotiabank Saddledome, barring a matchup this spring in the Stanley Cup Final.
Maple Leafs forward Kirill Marchenko, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a blockbuster trade just before the start of the season in return for a package that included Matthew Knies, was hurt and did not return.
Making matters more complicated was head coach Jim Hiller’s postgame assessment of the club’s newest Russian star forward, which did little to quell any fears that he could be seriously injured.
Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Jim Hiller Didn’t Provide An Optimistic Update On Kirill Marchenko
Marchenko left during the second period after falling awkwardly after colliding with Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich; the club ruled him out for the rest of the game.
And afterward, Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller didn’t do much to quell concerns that the injury wasn’t something to worry about.
“I don’t have the full update,” Hiller said when asked for an update on Marchenko’s condition. “He couldn’t come back and finish the game, so that’s never a good sign.”
The Maple Leafs are already playing without veterans John Tavares and Chris Tanev, both of whom have respective injuries.
“Somebody’s going to have to do it,” Hiller said when talking about filling the void. “That’s the point. I can’t fill it. Somebody’s going to have to fill it. Again, if you have a bad night as a group, nobody can fill that. It just takes the group to play well, and then somebody can step up and fill that hole. But if you’re not going to play cohesive and you turn the puck over, then it really doesn’t matter who’s going to fill that.”
Kirill Marchenko Is Playing In His First Year With The Maple Leafs
Marchenko, who would not commit to re-signing with the Blue Jackets, was acquired by the Maple Leafs in a blockbuster trade just before the season began and then signed to a multi-year extension.
So far this season, he’s scored six goals with eight assists in 14 games played.
Jim Hiller Worries Maple Leafs Fans With Kirill Marchenko Update