Andersen’s clutch saves push Leafs over top
Veteran makes 27 stops in win over Jets
On a day the Toronto Maple Leafs lost some goaltending depth, Frederik Andersen reminded the club’s fan base who holds the No. 1 spot in the crease.
Andersen was sharp when he needed to be, backstopping a good Leafs effort Monday night in a 3-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Arena.
Mitch Marner, with his second goal of the game, scored into an empty net with 22.6 seconds remaining to seal the Leafs’ third win in four games to open the 56-game 2020-21 National Hockey League regular season.
Andersen finished with 27 saves. He was the difference for the Leafs in killing a Jake Muzzin minor early in the third period, calmly turning aside several Jets blasts to preserve a one-goal Toronto lead. In the final five minutes, the Leafs allowed just one shot on goal during a Morgan Rielly minor.
Earlier Monday, the Leafs lost Aaron Dell on waivers to the New Jersey Devils, creating a hole in their goaltending depth that they didn’t need.
Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe went with 11 forwards and seven defencemen, electing to use Mikko Lehtonen on the blue line for the first time.
Lehtonen didn’t look out of place and after a good camp, continued to show he will be a viable option going forward.
Keefe didn’t replace Nick Robertson, who suffered a knee injury in Ottawa on Saturday and will be out at least four weeks, at forward. Jason Spezza remained in after clearing waivers and again was effective in the faceoff circle.
Winnipeg, meanwhile, didn’t have winger Patrik Laine, who is day to day with an upper-body injury.
The Jets have defensive issues and those were on display during the second period, when the Leafs outshot the visitors 22-6.
Toronto should have put more pucks past Hellebuyck, but came away with just a 2-1 lead. Winnipeg couldn’t clear the front of the net to save their collective lives.
A Marner goal at 18:39 put that into focus when the Leafs winger deposited a loose puck, after it had gone through Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck on a Justin Holl shot, into the empty net. No Jet touched Marner as he scored his second of the season.
That gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead and a seemingly nice cushion heading into the intermission.
But Kyle Connor put a high shot past Andersen with 47 seconds remaining in the second after the Jets were able to keep the puck in the Toronto end after a Muzzin turnover and some Leafs disorganization.
Leafs captain John Tavares, keeping his great start to the season alive, scored the opening goal at 5:28 of the second on a Toronto power play after taking a feed from William Nylander.
Tavares has a Leafs-best six points in four games.
The 22 shots by the Leafs in the second were eight short of the club record of 30, set in 1976 in a game against Detroit.
The first period featured 10 shots on goal by each team, with none of them entering either net.
The Auston Matthews line picked up where it left off in Ottawa, spending time deep in the offensive zone from the opening faceoff, but was unable to initially put anything past Hellebuyck.
Matthews has gained a half-step after shedding 10 pounds off his playing weight during the off-season,
getting down to the 210-pound range.
“I am seeing it for sure,” Keefe said. “He is on the puck a lot quicker. His stamina seems to be better as well, he is able to maintain that speed and pressure on the puck throughout his shift.
“That was really evident from Day 1 of camp. Our first few days in particular were pretty demanding for the guys with lots of skating and he was right at the front of the pack. It looks like the work he put in has paid off.”
A couple of Tavares backhands in the opening 20 minutes were turned aside by Hellebuyck, while Andersen was quick to deny Mark Scheifele with a pad save.
Winnipeg had the lone power play, and was held to two shots by a solid Leafs penalty kill.
Next up for the Leafs are home games against Connor Mcdavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and Friday.
It will be the first time Matthews and Mcdavid will be on the same ice surface since they spent part of the off-season skating with each other in Arizona.
“I’m not sure I can say I have figured this guy out because I don’t think anybody has or will,” Matthews said of Mcdavid’s deep well of hockey talent.
HE IS ON THE PUCK A LOT QUICKER.