Easton Cowan is drawing inspiration from watching Brandon Hagel deliver for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“He’s playing unreal,” the Toronto Marlies winger said. “He’s playing hard and he’s helping their team win. You look at guys like that and you want to be a difference maker like that eventually.”
Cowan considers the 6-foot-2, 186-pound Hagel to be a role model as he plots his own path in professional hockey.
“I’ve always watched him play obviously, but when you play against him you really realize how good he is,” said Cowan, who stands 6-foot, 190 pounds.
The 20-year-old faced the Lightning twice during his impressive rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, including one showdown in March when Hagel posted a goal and an assist. But Hagel, who represented Canada at the Olympics in February, is on a different level now. The Lightning winger is leading the Stanley Cup playoffs with six goals in four games against the Montreal Canadiens.
“He’s a rat, but he plays hard,” Cowan said. “He can make plays all over the ice and he’s being used in every situation and he’s capitalizing on his chances. He’s very fun to watch.”
Hagel scored twice, including the game-winning goal, on Sunday as the Lightning rallied from 2-0 down to beat the Canadiens and level their first-round series with Game 5 set for Wednesday night in Tampa.
Cowan is not just watching Hagel. He is studying Hagel’s game.
“That’s what he wants to emulate,” said Marlies head coach John Gruden. “When I show him some [mistakes] he’s like, ‘Well, that’s not Brandon Hagel-like,’ so he understands. He’s a smart hockey player. He’s a gifted hockey player and he likes [big] moments.”
The Leafs stumbled to the finish line with eight straight defeats, but Cowan ended on an uptick with seven points in those games while riding shotgun on the top line beside John Tavares and William Nylander.
After wrapping up his 66-game, 29-point rookie season in the NHL, Cowan welcomed the opportunity to go to the American Hockey League for the Calder Cup playoffs. The expectation was that he would play a key role for the Marlies, but the native of Mount Brydges, Ont. failed to make a big impression in the opening round.
Cowan produced two assists in three games – each coming on the power play – in Toronto’s victory over the Rochester Americans.
“I feel like I can be more physical in ways and obviously make better plays and be smarter with the puck,” Cowan readily admitted after practising on the Marlies second line beside Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg.
The Marlies will now face the first-place Laval Rocket, Montreal’s affiliate, in a best-of-five North Division semifinal series, which opens on Wednesday in Quebec.
“I’m glad we got the win and advanced,” Cowan said. “I can be better, I know that.”
Cowan was one of four Marlies to finish the series against Rochester as a minus player.
“He understands that there’s some things he can improve on,” Gruden said. “But we also have to be patient with him and understand he’s played a lot of hockey. I know when his back’s against the wall that kid’s going to show up.”
Cowan already possesses some clutch credentials. He led the London Knights to back-to-back Ontario Hockey League titles and last year was named MVP of the Memorial Cup as London claimed the Canadian Hockey League championship.
Cowan has played plenty of high-leverage hockey, including two appearances with Team Canada at the World Juniors, but the AHL is a different beast. And Cowan only played four games with the Marlies during the regular season.
“Sometimes that adjustment is very hard because the league is different,” said Marlies defenceman Dakota Mermis. “Probably more physical in a lot of ways so there’s always that adjustment period.”
Based on Tuesday’s practice, Cowan’s comfort level is growing. He caught gritty Marlies winger Michael Pezzetta off guard by attempting a reverse hit.
“I told him not to do that any more,” Pezzetta said with a chuckle. “He’s laying the boom. I think that’s a great tool in his toolbox and it’s going to help him down the road.”
Cowan felt he had a good practice on Tuesday.
“Just have to build off that,” he said. “I know I can be better and I will [be].”
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After serving as the backup to Artur Akhtyamov in the first two games of the playoffs, Dennis Hildeby stopped 29 of 31 shots to pick up the win in the decisive Game 3 against Rochester on Sunday.
Hildeby will get the start on Wednesday in Laval.
“He deserves it,” said Gruden. “He came in and played outstanding.”
Hildeby’s 6-foot-7, 222-pound frame should allow the Swede to handle the heavy style of game employed by the Rocket.
“He fits it perfectly,” Gruden said of the matchup. “They have a couple lines that like to get to the front of the net. They are going to be around him quite a bit. We gotta make sure we can keep them away from Dennis, box out early as possible, but also stay away from the scrums because they’re going to try to goad us into, I’m sure, some penalties. We’ll have to address that and I thought we did a really good job of that last series.”
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The rivalry between the Leafs and Canadiens is intense in the NHL and it’s very much the same between the Marlies and Rocket in the AHL.
“Two proud organizations and when the teams get out there, it seems like the intensity just gets raised a little bit and now, under the circumstances of playoffs, it’s going to get raised even more,” said Gruden.
The Marlies won five of the eight games against the Rocket this year, including the final two games of the regular season in Toronto.
“It’s going to be a war out there,” predicted Pezzetta, who spent seven seasons with the Canadiens organization before signing with the Leafs last summer. “I think that’s the best kind of hockey.”
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While the Marlies playoff run continues, MLSE continues its search for a new head of hockey operations. Former Leafs captain Mats Sundin is reportedly in line for a role in the front office.
“He was my favourite player growing up,” said Toronto native Pezzetta. “I used to wear 13 my whole career, that was for him. So, for me, you’re super excited to maybe get to meet him one day. I think for the organization he’s a pivotal player. His banner is up in the rafters. It’s exciting for Leafs Nation for sure.”
“It’s always special for a former legend like that to come back and help out,” said Hildeby. “It will definitely be special.”
John Chayka is reportedly among the contenders for the team’s head of hockey operations position. He served as Arizona Coyotes general manager from 2016 to 2020.
Mermis broke into the NHL with the Coyotes in the 2017-18 season.
“I was early in my career and he was very young at the time as well,” Mermis recalled. “You hear about analytics, numbers, you know, his history with the company he started (Stathletes) and analytics in sports, and obviously he is very good with numbers and being able to dissect those numbers. I enjoyed working with him at that time … It’d be good if he resurfaces.”
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Defenceman Matt Benning missed Game 3 against Rochester and did not take part in Tuesday’s practice.
“He is still out with an upper-body injury for a while,” Gruden said. “They’ll re-evaluate it and hopefully we’ll get him back. If not, it is next man up.”
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Lines at Leafs practice on Tuesday:
Groulx – Shaw – Lettieri
Cowan – Quillan – Tverberg
Pare – Haymes – Nylander
Pezzetta – Johnstone – Johnson
Baddock, Sim, Valis
Rifai – Thrun
Mermis – Villeneuve
Chadwick – Sharpe
Prokop, Smith
Hildeby
Akhtyamov
