Injuries take bite out of Maple Leafs
Matthews’ streak ends in shutout loss to Flames
Monday, bloody Monday. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ list of injured players didn’t stop growing in the hours leading to their home game against the Calgary Flames, and those who were healthy enough to be uniform couldn’t find the chemistry to mount a satisfactory fight.
The 3-0 Leafs loss at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night brought a sudden halt to Auston Matthews’ ridiculous run on offence and also snuffed the Leafs’ shot at setting a franchise record.
Matthews’ point streak ended at 16 games, marking just the second time this season he did have at least one point. Matthews fell two games shy of tying the Leafs record of 18 consecutive games played with at least one point, set by Darryl Sittler and tied by Ed Olczyk.
And it was just the third time in 15 games that Matthews did not score.
The Leafs came within two points of beating the franchise record for the best 20-game start.
Toronto stalled at 30 points, putting together a mark of 144-2. In 1933-34, the Leafs had 31 points in their first 20 games. That was tied in the following season. In 1993-94, the Leafs came close again, gathering 30 points in 20 games.
Already without Wayne Simmonds and backup goalie Jack Campbell, the Leafs’ injury news didn’t let up.
Goaltender Frederik Andersen, who took the morning skate, was a late scratch with a lower-body injury, giving Michael Hutchinson a second start.
That development came after coach Sheldon Keefe’s morning announcements: Defenceman Jake Muzzin and forwards Zach Hyman and Joe Thornton would not be playing.
Muzzin suffered a broken bone in his face against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, while Hyman was in some pain for the second time in as many games he has played after blocking a shot. The reason for Thornton’s absence was not disclosed.
Filling the spots on the lineup card were defenceman Mikko Lehtonen and forwards Nic Petan and Alexander Barabanov.
Hyman and Thornton are day to day; Keefe indicated Muzzin could be as well.
“It’s going to require him to miss some time, we’re uncertain how much time, it could be a dayto-day situation,” Keefe said of Muzzin. “We have to give it some time to settle, but when he comes back, it’ll have to be with full shield. It’s a big loss.”
Earlier in the day, Tavares spoke of the rise of Matthews, who has 18 goals in 19 games, and Marner, who was tied for second in NHL scoring. Tavares didn’t know then, as Keefe was not yet aware that Thornton would be out, that he would be playing on a line with the two superstar youngsters.
“He and Mitch and the way they’ve really truly established themselves as two of the best in the game has been remarkable,” Tavares said. “When you have that type of talent, it only improves the people around you. Guys like myself and the rest of our group benefit from that.”
That didn’t quite transpire. The line had a few chances, but like the rest of the Leafs, were a touch out of sync.
Barabanov had some jump on a line with Alex Kerfoot and William Nylander, but still does not have a point in eight NHL games.
In the third, Keefe moved Kerfoot to play with Matthews and Marner.
David Rittich made 34 saves as Toronto was shut out for the first time since March 5 last season, when it lost 1-0 in a shootout in Los Angeles. That was the only game in 2019-20 the Leafs didn’t score a goal.
Calgary scored a pair of power play goals. Sean Monahan scored early in the third and Muzzin’s favourite player, Matt Tkachuk, tipped a shot past Hutchinson during a Calgary power play at 9:28 of the second.
The Leafs, who went 0-for-7 on the power play, weren’t without their chances. Ilya Mikheyev twice was thwarted by Rittich while the Leafs were short-handed. On a two-man Toronto power play that spanned one minute, 36 seconds, Nylander was stopped on the doorstep by Rittich. Another big stop in the Calgary end came when Rittich gloved a Jason Spezza shot.
Calgary held a 1-0 lead at the first intermission on a weak goal.
A shot by Sam Bennett, whose name has been linked to the Leafs in trade rumours among other clubs, was slightly redirected by Tavares. The puck skittered through Hutchinson, though the shot was stoppable.
The Leafs briefly lost Jimmy Vesey, who was leaking blood after taking an elbow to the face from Bennett, in the first period.
Toronto came close to tying the game on its second power play when Morgan Rielly ripped a shot off the crossbar. Tavares got his stick on the rebound, but Rittich got his paddle down to make a save on the goal-line.
The clubs meet again on Wednesday in Toronto.