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Former captain Armstrong was front of mind during `ugly win' for the Buds
The Toronto Maple Leafs' pregame video served a different purpose on Sunday afternoon in Calgary.
Chief among coach Sheldon Keefe's messages to his players prior to the match against the Calgary Flames was the impact of former Leafs captain and Hockey Hall of Famer George Armstrong, who passed away earlier in the day.
“Normally 90 minutes before a game, we have a meeting where we cover a lot of our plans and preparing for the opposition,” Keefe said, “but (Sunday), we made it about George. I shared a video of him and had a conversation about him and his impact on our organization.
“Leafs Nation is as strong as it is because of the efforts of people like George, in particular that era (the 1960s) when they're winning the Stanley Cups.
“Generations of Leafs fans were bred through those efforts. We felt it was important to acknowledge that. Condolences to the Armstrong family, his friends and people who loved him.”
While the Leafs won't get style points for what transpired on the ice in a 3-2 victory against the Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome, there should be something said about the resolve the club demonstrated in winning for the fifth time in seven games to start the 2020-21 season.
A day of travel on Saturday was followed by a 2 p.m. local start versus a Flames team that had not played since last Monday.
The term “ugly win” was prevalent during the players' post-game media availability, but goalie Jack Campbell, who made 31 saves in his second start, had slightly more positive take.
“I guess you would not chalk it up as a pretty one, but we battled and built a lot of character to come away with a win like that,” Campbell said. “We're looking at the big picture. We got out of here with a big win.”
Campbell appeared to hurt a leg in the final minutes but said he “never” thought about coming out of the game and that he felt “great.”
A moment of silence was held for Armstrong prior to the opening faceoff and on a day that the Leafs legend was on the minds of everyone in the organization, several Leafs checked milestone boxes.
Mitch Marner had two assists, his first on a goal by Jake Muzzin serving as his 300th National Hockey League point and coming in his 307th game. Only two
Leafs — Syl Apps (284 games) and Charlie Conacher (294 games) — got to 300 points faster in franchise history.
Wayne Simmonds' first goal (and first point) as a Leaf was his 500th NHL point and his 100th power play goal, coming late in the second period to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.
Auston Matthews, who returned after missing one game with a hand problem, had scored against every other NHL club in his career, with one exception — Calgary. That changed early in third period when a Morgan Rielly shot hit Matthews and then Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson before getting past goalie Jacob Markstrom.
Rielly had his first three assists of the season. TJ Brodie, signed by the Leafs in October, played for the first time in Calgary as a member of the opposition after skating in 634 games for the Flames.
Before taking questions, Matthews had praise for Armstrong.
“George was an incredible ambassador for the city of Toronto and the Maple Leafs,” Matthews said. “He paved the way for guys like us who are trying to accomplish something big here. I want to extend my condolences to his family.”
Matthews said he will have to keep an eye on his hand issues.
“We'll have to take care of it here in the next couple of weeks, but it feels a lot better.”
The Matthews goal gave the Leafs a 3-1 lead, but Calgary got nothing in the final 13 minutes after Elias Lindholm closed the gap to one goal.
Keefe called Campbell the Leafs' best player during the afternoon and had some final words of admiration for Armstrong.
“We have a role to play in how we prepare and how we play, and people like George showed the way.”