A win with character, if not style
Pre-game tribute to Leafs legend Armstrong inspires team to dig deep against Flames
There were no matinee idol goals.
A trio of homely goals, in fact, for Toronto. Yet studly in their own unlovely milestone fashion, at least for significance and ultimate result.
Auston Matthews got off the schneid-of-one, crossing out Calgary as the only team remaining he’d not yet scored against.
Wayne Simmonds with his first as a Maple Leaf. Which also happened to be his 100th career power play goal and 500th career point.
Two assists landed Mitch Marner atop the NHL points column, taking back the laurels from Mark Stone in Las Vegas.
Three aid and abet assists for Morgan Rielly.
But mostly — as all his teammates genuflected towards him — a humdinger for back-up netminder Jack Campbell, who played the final two minutes of the game in a whole lot of hurt after appearing to over-extend his leg stopping a shot, with six attackers surging. Even, with a stoppage in play, skated to the Leaf bench, as Freddie Andersen rose, pulled on his gloves, and appeared set to take the net.
“Never,” Campbell responded post-game, when asked if he’d considered coming out.
A gritty if largely uncomely 3-2 win at the Saddledome on Sunday afternoon for the Leafs, launching a four-game road swing westward ‘ho, against a team that might present the strongest challenge for Toronto in the Canadian division.
The kind of effort that, as Campbell noted, builds character. Including his own.
“Soup was an absolute rock star for us,” lauded Matthews of the man between the pipes. “He made some big saves, especially towards the end. He was a brick wall for us.”
Oh, and did we mention it was T.J. Brodie’s first time lining up
against the club where he’d spent the past decade? Couldn’t stop jibber-jabbering about that. (Kidding. He’s a clam.) But Brodie did admit he hardly knew how to react to the video tribute in an empty arena.
“I didn’t know whether to wave or what to do. So it was a little awkward.”
Matthews was restored to the line-up after missing Friday’s game versus Edmonton, nursing an upper body injury that he now reveals was a hand issue. “I’m not going to go any further than that.”
Paw and all, Matthews nevertheless finally solved the Flames, if inadvertently. He was hanging tough in front of the crease when a shot by Rielly hit him, caromed off Rasmus Andersson and behind Jacob Markstrom. Matthews’ third of the season stood up as the winner.
“I think it was a pretty ugly game, to be honest,” said Matthews, forthrightly.
“There were a lot of things we could have done better. We had some good sequences, obviously a couple of solid bounces that went our way and we’ll definitely take them.”
The Simmonds benchmark, for instance, was as humble as they come.
On the power play, he was actually trying to backhand the puck to Matthews. Instead, passed it off his own skate and into the net.
“Uhmmmm, it was pretty big,” said Simmonds, who celebrated the moment no less joyfully for its dowdiness.
Two power play goals for Toronto, making it nine PPGs in seven games, still clicking along in the injury absence of Joe Thornton.
“We’ve got to great units,“noted Simmonds.
“I don’t think it matters which unit is one the ice. For me, it’s pretty much status quo. Just get in front of the net, get loose pucks, present myself as an option for the other guys.”
Toronto opened the scoring – just their fourth first period goal on the season – when Marner, who’s been the straw stirring the Leafs drink so far, executed a signature buzzing entry into the offensive zone, battling to retain possession in the corner before spotting Jake Muzzin at the point. Muzzin took a few steps to his right, opening up a clear lane for a shot that deflected off a Calga
ry forward just enough to catch Markstrom leaning the wrong way.
The two goals at the other end of the ice – Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm – were no more attractive, the former going in off Campbell’s backside.
Calgary had fresh legs, not having played since Monday, in a weirdness within the weirdness of the truncated schedule. Flames also had lead in their pencil, flexing physical at drop of the puck – clearly targeting Toronto’s soft spot. The Leafs’ third line weathered much of that storm in their early shifts. But Campbell showed sharp, after which Toronto kept the Flames shot-less through more than 11 minutes, blunting a vigorous forecheck.
For the Leafs, the day had begun mournfully with news that George Armstrong – last Toronto captain to have skated with the Stanley Cup (he did it four times), had died at age 90. Instead of the team’s usual pre-game conclave, reviewed pertinent data about the opposition, coach Sheldon Keefe presented his players with an Armstrong montage.
“Before I take any questions,” Keefe told reporters in a zoom session afterwards, “it’s important to acknowledge the passing of George Armstrong today. It was obviously tough news for our organization and our fans and people that love the game.”
It was essential, Keefe continued, to remind everyone present about Armstrong’s impact on the franchise, on hockey.
“Leaf nation is as strong as it is because of the efforts of people like George, particularly in that era when they were winning Stanley Cups. Generations of Leaf fans were bred through those efforts. We felt it was important to acknowledge that.
“Obviously, for myself, I didn’t get a chance to see him play. We feel the efforts of people like George, the efforts they put forth in that era, we feel that every day here with the Leafs and are grateful for that.”
Further: “When you’re in this every single day, you’re in the moment, you’re taking care of what you can control. I think it’s important to stop and pause every now and again, just to look at the bigger picture and recognize that what we’re doing here every day is for a greater purpose beyond ourselves. We have a role to play with how we prepare, how we play. People like George showed the way there.”
As for the Leafs and the Flames, they’ll get right back at it on Tuesday.