Andersen fined $2K for diving
Frederik Andersen is becoming a bad actor, according to the NHL.
The goalie was US$2,000 lighter in the wallet on Thursday morning after the league fined him for diving/embellishment, tracked in the New Year’s Eve game in Las Vegas. Andersen had been issued one warning after a Nov. 24 road game in Carolina. It’s not clear if the league initiated a second look themselves on either play or if the Golden Knights and Hurricanes submitted video of Andersen.
Under the league’s plan to curtail players who try and ham it up to draw penalties, a first warning is followed by a fine, which can escalate to $5,000 for repeated dives. After four infractions, the team coach will start to lose a couple of grand, too.
Falling Leafs
The Leafs had dropped behind the Boston Bruins for third place in the division before Thursday night and though still in a playoff position, Mike Babcock was not happy.
“We’re 10th (overall in the NHL), we’re not good enough” declared the coach. “And tonight we’re playing the best specialty teams (the Sharks sitting top five in power play and penalty killing). We have an area to improve there.
“In general our defensive game on a regular basis is good. Then suddenly (in the most recent losses to division leaders Tampa Bay and Las Vegas) we don’t (cover a forward), suddenly we turn the puck over. Sections of our game, if you’re me, you’re wondering ‘who is coaching the team?’ That’s the consistent part of our game and you need to do work on it every day.”
First things first
Even with the Leafs taking a little slide in the standings, it hasn’t been a nightly blowout, an important distinction to make says Matt Martin.
“We never feel we’re out of it,” said the winger. “We have confidence we can score and believe we’re a good team. More importantly, we have to start starting on time — I know that’s talked about a lot — but we have to find a way to come out in the first period and dominate, get our crowd in it early and not chase the game.”
Long day for DeBoer
It was 30 years ago that Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer, a centre with the Windsor Spitfires, travelled to the June draft at the Montreal Forum, hoping to be picked at some point.
He waited the first five rounds, then another five, until the 12th when the Leafs selected him 237th overall. Most other juniors had departed, the Leaf table was near empty and the Toronto media already had spoken with the big-name picks Tie Domi, Scott Pearson and DeBoer’s teammate, goalie Peter Ing.
“They don’t even have 12 rounds anymore,” DeBoer said. “Dick Duff (then a team executive) was at the table and John Brophy was the coach. But it was last call at the bar on Ste.-Catherine St. and I got out in time for a beer to celebrate.”
Marlie star-gazing
Defenceman Travis Dermott and winger Kasperi Kapanen have been named the Marlie representatives to the AHL all-star festivities Jan. 28-29 in Utica, N.Y. Dermott will likely be the next Marlie called up by the Leafs, having been hurt when Toronto summoned Martin Marincin after Nikita Zaitsev suffered a suspected broken right foot. The Leafs will likely want top see what Dermott can do in the NHL before making any kind of trade by late February.
Zaitsev, meanwhile, was spotted Thursday morning at the ACC, on crutches with his foot in a boot. Babcock has hopes of getting him back some time after Jan. 16.
The Marlies, who defeated Laval 5-2 on Wednesday to improve to 24-11, named Ben Smith their captain this week, with alternates Colin Greening and Rich Clune. The respected Smith won a Cup with Chicago and played with the Leafs after coming from San Jose in the James Reimer trade.
Also going to the AHL all-star game, head coach Sheldon Keefe. lhornby@postmedia.com