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Maple Leafs’ Easton Cowan reflects on NHL debut despite Red Wings loss
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- Maple Leafs’ Easton Cowan reflects on NHL debut despite Red Wings loss
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The post Maple Leafs' Easton Cowan reflects on NHL debut despite Red Wings loss appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a second straight game. After the Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens in their first contest of the year, the team has played the Detroit Red Wings in their last two. In the second game, on home ice, top prospect Easton Cowan made his NHL debut. Cowan reflected on his debut afterwards .
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"It was a fun game to play in. Lots of family and friends here so that meant a lot. Obviously unfortunate we didn't get the win there. I thought we played a pretty good game though, outshot them. I felt like we had a lot of chances. A little bit of adversity but we will battle through it. I felt good. I wasn't really nervous at all. It was just another game. I felt good out there for sure," said Cowan to the media after the contest.
Cowan was the No. 28 overall pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL Draft. He then spent two more full seasons with the London Knights of the OHL. It has been a quick rise for the former first-round pick. He was playing in the GOJHL with the Komoka Kings in 2021 before moving to the OHL, and now, playing on a top line at the NHL level.
"Yeah, it's pretty crazy. About five years ago, I was playing Junior B, so it just shows if you stick with it and work hard, good things will come. So just going to keep doing that. Felt good today, but back at it tomorrow and hopefully get the two points," noted the 20-year-old forward . His former OHL teammates also made sure he had plenty of support in his first NHL game.
"They had all my old jerseys on, switched around backwards so you could see my name, and just big smiles on their face, It meant a lot that they came all the way here," Cowan told reporters with a smile on his face.
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Overall, it was a solid debut . Cowan had one shot, played 18 shifts, gave out three hits, and received 14:05 of ice time.
"I thought he had a great game. He made a lot of good plays with the puck. And he made a good one at six on five, too. So that's why he was out there," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media after the contest.
If Cowan continues to look comfortable, Berube will likely give him plenty more chances in the future.
