McKenna’s Breakdown: Tough Maple Leafs debut for Ilya Lyubushkin

Newly acquired Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin learned a lesson in Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Defending a 2-on-1 rush is no longer about controlling where the shot comes from. It’s about preventing the shot. Or at minimum, forcing the offensive team to make a difficult play.

But that thought process challenges the hockey status quo.

Players grow up being taught that the goalie has the shooter. The defenseman has the pass. Simple.

But all that does is essentially give a breakaway to the puck carrier.

With just under 14 minutes remaining in the second period, and the Maple Leafs leading 1-0, Toronto blueliner Morgan Rielly got caught up ice when Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski created a turnover in his team’s defensive zone.

Werenski then completed a stretch pass to forward Boone Jenner, who was waiting at the far blue line with teammate Patrik Laine. The Maple Leafs were caught with four players inside the offensive zone – except Ilya Lyubushkin.

It was the Russian defender’s first game as a Maple Leaf since being traded by the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 19, just three days prior. And he’s the last man back against two of Columbus’ best offensive players.

Lyubushkin hustled to position. But he failed to cover the passing lane to Jenner. And his positioning allowed Laine a clear lane to the net. He essentially did nothing to prevent a scoring chance against. And Laine made the Leafs pay with a perfect shot over Jack Campbell’s glove hand.

I can hear the words of a thousand hockey coaches going through Lyubushkin’s head as the 2-on-1 developed. “Take the pass. Goalie has the shooter.”

But look at the diagram in the video above. Lyubushkin was too deep in the defensive zone; his gap between himself and the rush too large. He was caught in no-man’s land wagging his stick to no effect.

What I really find troublesome is the lack of awareness. It’s Laine, one of the NHL’s premier snipers, bearing down on him. The chance of him passing the puck to Jenner is incredibly low.

Laine wants to take the shot. He is programmed to take the shot. But he is deceptive: from the moment he received the puck just inside the blue line, Laine was looking towards Jenner. He was selling the pass. But in a split-second, his head turned towards the goal and the Blue Jackets forward buries the puck far-side and high.

The scary part is that Laine could have skated the puck directly to the net if so desired. Lyubushkin gave him so much room that Laine could have turned a 2-on-1 into a clean breakaway down the middle of the ice.

Laine is right-handed and on his off-wing, which means he is gaining shooting angle as he approaches the slot area. Whether Laine shot or elected to drive the net and deke, it’s a difficult save for Campbell to make. Lyubushkin’s passive positioning all but guaranteed a ‘Grade A’ scoring chance.

And that is where I think old-school hockey coaching falls short. The reason why goalies of yesteryear only covered the shooter when facing a 2-on-1 is because they didn’t have the lateral mobility of today’s netminders. Old guard netminders would start far outside the blue paint in an effort to cut down the shooter’s angle, which left them exposed to the pass. So defensemen focused on preventing it.

Most of today’s NHL goaltenders play deeper. They wear equipment that slides effortlessly along the ice. And they can skate better than ever before. It’s no longer good enough to just have the shooter. Goalies need to be able to make the save on the pass as well.

Which is why having a plan is so important. There are occasions when a defenseman should force the puck carrier. And the goalie needs to communicate it. In this case with Laine, I would have liked for Lyubushkin to attack. Force Laine to make a play. Because even if a pass to Jenner went through, as a modern goaltender, I trust my skating ability would allow me to make a save on Jenner.

If the offensive players were reversed – if Jenner was carrying the puck in Laine’s spot – I would have wanted that shot.

Why? Not because it is Jenner instead of Laine. But because as a player attacks towards the goal line on their proper wing, they lose shooting angle. As long as I could stay square, there is a strong chance I would make the save. 

But here is the key: I would also have to trust Lyubushkin’s ability to prevent a cross-ice pass. That wouldn’t be easy in the first game as teammates. But it’s why having conversations about systems and preferences are so important. Especially before the puck drops.

Unfortunately for Campbell and the Maple Leafs, it was not a good first impression by Lyubushkin. Early in the third period, he also left a massive gap in the neutral zone that allowed Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist to penetrate middle ice on the power play and tie the game at two aside. And just several minutes later, Lyubushkin was left in the dust by Columbus forward Brendan Gaunce, who scored a breakaway goal to put his team ahead 3-2.

First impressions stick in the minds of goaltenders. Especially when a player like Lyubushkin has been brought in to shore up the Maple Leafs defense.

The best teams I played on had coaches and players that were willing to try new concepts. Some worked. Some did not. But there was always something to be learned. And I think Lyubushkin did just that Tuesday night in Columbus.