STARRY NIGHT IN NET
Rittich, Andersen put on show in Flames’ shootout victory
Two goalies headed to the NHL all-star game put on an early showcase Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.
After more than 80 combined shots, the Calgary Flames’ David Rittich emerged the winner over Frederik Andersen of the Maple Leafs in a 2-1 shootout, topping 35 regulation/overtime saves by denying Jason Spezza, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in the tiebreaker. Matthew Tkachuk had the only shootout goal for the visitors.
The Leafs must have felt the cold-weather snap outside.
Their offence, so effective at home of late, was frozen out by Rittich. But at least Toronto halted an alarming string of four games with at least four goals against.
You know it’s a bad night offensively when the Leafs’ vaunted power play comes up empty on four chances. But just before the last one expired midway through the third, John Tavares spied William Nylander with a free stick in the blue paint and it was tied.
Calgary had taken the initiative when Derek Ryan got between Rasmus Sandin and Cody Ceci to tip a second-period Travis Hamonic shot past Andersen.
The Leafs had two early injury scares, losing forward Pierre Engvall for most of the first period after a hit and heavy fall to the ice. He came back to start the second period, but Travis Dermott then took a Sean Monahan shot off the instep that needed some time at the bench to be shaken off. Two other defencemen, Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin, are already out with similar longterm injuries.
Toronto’s power-play shooting and passing were just a tad off on the first three opportunities. Pucks that found their way on net were denied by Rittich, named to the all-star contest as a replacement earlier this week for Darcy Kuemper.
“Who would think, four or five years ago, I was in the Czech League and never thinking of the NHL,” Rittich said Thursday morning. “Now, I have an opportunity to be with the best players in the world.”
Among those Leafs frustrated were Matthews, who was seeking his 35th goal and 28th at home, stopped by Rittich on a lategame 2-on-1 with Andreas Johnsson. So, too, was linemate Marner, hoping to extend his points streak to nine games. Their left winger, Zach Hyman, was moved with Tavares and Nylander at even-strength to begin the third period, while Johnsson switched to Matthews/ Marner.
There were at least three former Leafs captains at the game, club ambassadors Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour and the recently idled Dion Phaneuf, a guest of club president Brendan Shanahan, who may be looking at the next stage of his career.
The Leafs have one game remaining — Saturday at home against Chicago — before an eight-day hiatus that encompasses the all-star break.
At the top of Toronto and Calgary’s to-do list through 82 games is a playoff spot and home-ice advantage. But for all Canadian teams, there can be more incentives, such as beating a northern rival and finishing with the best record among the seven Great White North franchises.
In head-to-head matches involving all Canadian teams before the game, the Winnipeg Jets have the highest points percentage (.750), followed by Montreal (.708), the Flames and Leafs (at a tight .667 and .628), trailed by Edmonton (.458), Ottawa (.428) and Vancouver (.364).
Toronto backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson agreed there’s a rivalry among the seven clubs, that’s boiling beneath the playoff race. He is from north of Toronto, but started his career in Winnipeg.
“Especially with Canadian players, you’re aware of it,” Hutchinson said before the game. “And it’s nice when you get out there and there’s only one anthem. The game gets going quicker.
“We don’t forget they beat us in Calgary (4-2 a month ago, Toronto’s only loss on its Alberta/B.C. swing). At the end of the year, it’s one of those cool things. To hear you have the best record among Canadian teams, it means something.”
Eight Ontario-born Flames, including Toronto native and captain Mark Giordano hoped to take a step towards that on Thursday.