Fabulous Freddie
Andersen makes 44 saves as Leafs gut out win over Predators
That’s how a hockey team guts out a victory.
The Maple Leafs, with little room to manoeuvre at every turn, managed to beat the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night, getting the deciding goal in a shootout from James van Riemsdyk to beat the 2017 Stanley Cup finalists 3-2 at the Air Canada Centre.
Frederik Andersen was terrific in the Leafs net and Kasperi Kapanen continued to strengthen his hold on a full-time roster spot as the Leafs won for the sixth time in seven games.
It wasn’t easy. Before a crowd of 18,878, the experienced Predators were tough on the Leafs all night. Andersen finished with 44 saves.
Andersen made a winsaving stop on Ryan Johansen with just over a minute to play in regulation, thwarting the Preds forward on a wraparound.
Van Riemsdyk was the 13th shooter in the skills competition, and beat Pekka Rinne to the stick side.
Andersen then stopped Viktor Arvidsson to ensure the victory.
Nashville fell to 9-1-2 in its past 12 games.
It was another tough night for Auston Matthews, who could not get untracked in Boston last Saturday. Like then, Matthews did little on offence, generating next to nothing at even strength.
The Leafs carried a 2-1 lead into the third period but it was gone before most fans were back from the concessions. Arvidsson capitalized on Toronto’s inability to clear the puck and beat Andersen with a quick, low shot at the 25-second mark.
Kapanen has been giving the Leafs bursts of energy since being recalled from the Toronto Marlies on Jan. 29, and we saw that effort work to a T midway through the second period.
Kapanen’s goal at 9:38 demonstrated why it’s becoming more inconceivable that he will play another game for the Marlies.
With Connor Brown serving just his fifth minor of the season, Kapanen chipped the puck past a sprawling P.K. Subban at the Leafs blueline and raced to get a breakaway.
Nashville’s Craig Smith caught up to Kapanen, but the Leaf was able to maintain control of the puck. Kapanen spun and beat Rinne between the legs with a forehand, stunning the Predators.
It was Kapanen’s fourth goal in 13 games with the Leafs in 2017-18, and it was the Leafs’ fourth shorthanded goal. It also was no coincidence that Kapanen scored as Matt Martin was a healthy scratch for the seventh game in a row.
If Martin gets back into the Leafs lineup again, it can’t be at the expense of Kapanen, whose speed is unmatched by just about all of his teammates.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock didn’t exactly go out on a limb after the morning skate when he said “I don’t imagine there will be a lot of space.”
Sure enough, neither team could crack through the neutral zone through the first 10 minutes of the game. Shots on goal were 2-2.
Before van Riemsdyk gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead at 16:06, Andersen made his best save of the period, stopping a Colton Sissons backhand. That scoring chance came about when William Nylander gave the puck away deep in the defensive zone, inexplicably trying a behind-the-back pass in the middle of the ice as the Predators pressured.
Nylander, at the least, owes Andersen a beer on the Leafs’ next trip.
The 21st goal of the season for van Riemsdyk came thanks to some diligence by Brown, who out-muscled Subban and passed to van Riemsdyk. The latter’s shot from the slot appeared to hit defenceman Alexei Emelin, enough to fool Rinne.
Early in the second, Andersen made a tough save on a Kyle Turris shot that was deflected. Then, after Kapanen’s goal, Andersen stuffed Roman Josi at the side of the net, bringing chants of “Freddie, Freddie” from the stands.
And there was a stop on Arvidsson, who broke in alone on the Leafs netminder. After making the save, Andersen calmly batted the puck out of the air and away from potential harm.
Nashville finally got through late in the second period when Sissons took advantage of a bounce and one-timed the puck past Andersen. A shot hit van Riemsdyk in the back of the head and dropped to Sissons, who fired the puck into the net at 18:10.