Now that rookie Easton Cowan is in the Maple Leafs lineup, it’s up to his older teammates to have his back.
It’s natural that the eye lingers in the aftermath of any physical altercation with Cowan and bigger veteran NHLers as he’s a tempting target.
He’s important to Toronto’s first line and the opposition will test his ability to jump from junior to The Show without any AHL acclimatization.
“He’s a smaller guy (just under six feet, depending on who you ask), but not afraid to go into those dirty areas,” Auston Matthews said on Thursday morning before facing the New York Rangers. “He obviously took a couple of kind of cheap hits (in Tuesday’s 7-4 win over Nashville) stuff like that, but he’s deceptively a lot stronger than he looks.”
Ozzy Wiesblatt of the Preds bumped Cowan head-on into the unforgiving post beside Leafs goalie Cayden Primeau, but Cowan quickly dusted the snow off.
“I think he’s handled it really well, understands the nature of moving up and playing at this level with strong men,” Matthews said. “You have to protect yourself and he realizes that.”
Some expected the Leafs to be more proactive in their response to the Wiesblatt matter, which resulted in an interference penalty to Nashville. Coach Craig Berube praised Cowan and the others for showing restraint.
“They’ll figure it out and handle whatever the situation is,” Berube said. “At the same time, we got a power play out of it, so you can’t react to that (by taking a retaliatory minor). The power play’s job is to make them pay. You have to stay disciplined.
“All scenarios are different when it comes to that. I’m not too worried about it, I know our team will stand up for each other. They did it last year.”
Cowan also will initiate contact and has been credited with five hits so far.
“It’s just the game, you get back up,” Cowan said of the rough stuff he has encountered ahead of his third start. “I’m playing my game, playing north, supporting the puck.
“I’ve been hitting a lot and looking to keep that going, playing hard hockey.”
After Cowan was able to take a breather following his second marathon junior season that ended with a June Memorial Cup for the London Knights, it was back to long sessions in the gym near his Mount Brydges home to bulk up for his first true pro camp.
“I feel like I got really strong this summer and I’m looking keeping that going through the year,” Cowan said.
The rest of Cowan’s first big-league week has gone well, with his first career assist against the Preds. He was also pranked in his first team dinner.
“I was sitting with the younger guys and the waiter came over and gave me (a big) bill and I thought I’d have to pay for it,” he said with a smile. “It was just Max Domi and Auston having some fun. Little jokes like that go a long way and you have to be able to take it.”
Cowan likely will have to fork over for a few bucks for the official rookie dinner at a later road date.
“He has a great head on his shoulders and it’s all coming in stride for him,” 36-year-old defenceman Chris Tanev said. “I’m impressed with him on and off the ice.
“I remember the older guys taking care of me (with the Vancouver Canucks more than a decade ago). I don’t think I had to pay for a dinner for two years because they were so nice to me.
“Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler, Keith Ballard were amazing guys. They wanted to teach me the ways, so when we get the chance, we want to take care of the young guys.”
While William Nylander stayed off the ice Thursday morning and Steve Lorentz (upper body injury) practised, Berube said Nylander would play versus New York and there’d be no change in the lineup other than Anthony Stolarz back in net for Primeau after the latter’s Leafs debut.
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