Andersen stellar for Leafs
TORONTO Frederik Andersen got the better of the Nashville Predators, again.
Andersen made 44 saves through regulation and overtime, then stopped six skaters in the shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Nashville 3-2 on Wednesday at Air Canada Centre.
He’s now 7-1-0 all-time against the Predators.
“Freddie had to be good,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “Good for Freddie and good for us — we got the points.”
James van Riemsdyk scored the winner in the seventh round of the shootout and added a goal in regulation to lead the offence.
Kasperi Kapanen also scored for the Leafs (32-19-5), who picked up their sixth win in their last seven games.
Colton Sissons and Viktor Arvidsson scored for the Predators (32-12-8), who failed to move into a tie with Winnipeg (73 points) for first place in the Central Division. Nashville sits a point behind the Jets.
The Predators applied pressure to Toronto, outshooting the Leafs 38-21 from the second period onwards.
Van Riemsdyk opened the scoring in the first period.
With Nashville on the power play in the second, Kapanen stripped P.K. Subban of the puck at the Predators blue line for a breakaway. Craig Smith caught up to Kapanen and initially blocked his path to the goal, but Kapanen spun around Smith and put a wrist shot through the legs of Rinne to give Toronto a 2-0 lead at 9:38.
“I was getting pretty tired there, so I just gave it all I got and lucky enough I just got him on my back, and it ended up the way it did,” Kapanen said of the goal.
The Predators scored their first goal of the game when Pontus Aberg’s shot hit van Riemsdyk on the way to the net. Sissons picked up the loose puck and beat an out-of-position Andersen. Ryan Ellis also collected an assist to cut Toronto’s lead to 2-1 at 18:10.
Nashville tied it 2-2 early in the third when Arvidsson picked up a rebound in front of Andersen and shot the puck through his legs just 25 seconds into the period.
The comeback was nearly complete when Ryan Johansen tried a wraparound attempt on Andersen near the final minute of regulation time. Andersen was able to slide across to make a pad save.
Tyler Bozak and Ryan Ellis both scored in the third round of the shootout to force extra shootout attempts. Van Riemsdyk shot the puck over the left blocker of Rinne to win it for Toronto.
Pekka Rinne made 30 saves in defeat.
Bruins dominant
NEW YORK — Riley Nash and Zdeno Chara scored first-period goals and Patrice Bergeron added two in the second to help the surging Boston Bruins swamp the New York Rangers 6-1 on Wednesday night.
The Bruins won for the 18th time in their last 23 games, getting 21 saves from backup netminder Anton Khudobin. The Bruins (33-11-8) are just a point behind Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay.
Tim Schaller’s goal that made it 4-1 at 7:25 of the second period chased Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and brought boos from the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Sean Kuraly also scored for Boston. Rick Nash scored for New York.
Burrows suspended 10 games
NEW YORK — Ottawa Senators forward Alexandre Burrows has been suspended for 10 games for serving as the aggressor in an altercation and kneeing New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall in Tuesday’s 5-3 win.
The NHL’s department of player safety announced the suspension on Wednesday night.
Burrows started the incident by tossing Hall to the ice after a stoppage of play at 10:02 of the second period.
While pinning his opponent to the ice, Burrows threw punches until he was tied up by the official, before continuing the altercation with two knees to the side of Hall’s head.
Burrows was assessed two minor penalties on the play, one for cross-checking and another for roughing. He will forfeit US$134,408.60 for the suspension.