As part of their major changes during the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets and immediately signed him to a six-year, $75 million contract extension.
Marchenko, who is playing in the final year of his current contract, would not commit to signing an extension with the Blue Jackets, and they felt it was necessary to gain the kind of assets that they could for him rather than lose him on the open market for nothing in return.
And on Thursday evening against the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres, Marchenko brought the house down at Scotiabank Arena with his first hat trick since joining the Maple Leafs.
Kirill Marchenko Thrills Toronto Maple Leafs Fans With First Hat Trick
Marchenko, who had already reached four career hat tricks while with the Blue Jackets, registered his first with the Maple Leafs and the fifth of his career.
Thanks to his trio of goals, the Maple Leafs enjoy a 4-2 lead over the Sabres at the end of the second period.
Kirill Marchenko Said He Feels He Can Play Better
Recently, Marchenko expressed dissatisfaction with his own play, saying that he felt he could be performing at a higher level in the early goings of his Maple Leafs tenure.
“Good question, I feel fine, but know I can play better for sure,” Marchenko said via The Toronto Sun. “It’s tough for me to explain, it (might) take hours. I have to focus on small details — everywhere a little bit.”
Meanwhile, head coach Jim Hiller said that it’s his job to come up with the best kind of support for the newly-acquired Leafs star forward.
“You just try and get a feel for the person, make sure they’re getting the support they need and at the same time, how they can get better,” Hilelr said. “Everyone has a different way. You can’t overwhelm the player, you just have to find the sweet spot.
“He cares deeply about his game, about being a good teammate. I’m trying not to put much pressure on him because he’s putting a lot on himself. He’s used to being a little more dangerous (versus one cog of a potent offence) and maybe that’s what he’s putting on himself. We just want him to be a good all-around player. We know he’s skilled, that he’s going to score and create chances. We just want him to be comfortable, like he understands the system.”
Kirill Marchenko Thrills Fans With 1st Maple Leafs Hat Trick