Leafs welcome ‘huge point’ in battle for playoff place
CHICAGO 2 TORONTO 1 (OT)
TORONTO — James van Riemsdyk had victory on his tape as he raced in alone on Corey Crawford in overtime against Chicago.
But the 27-year-old’s backhand attempt was kicked away by the right pad of the Canadian goaltender. Ryan Hartman scored about two minutes later to ice it for the Blackhawks, the Leafs coming up just short against the top team in the West, downed 2-1 on Saturday.
“The ice was brutal so I was just trying to do something where the puck wouldn’t hop on me,” van Riemsdyk said of his overtime attempt.
The single point helped the Leafs keep their hold on the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto has 79 points with 12 games to play — one up on the New York Islanders and two up on the Tampa Bay Lightning, both teams with one less game to play. It was the fifth time in the last six games that the Leafs have picked up at least a point (4-1-1).
“You always take the points you can get and run with them, especially with the race that we’re in,” van Riemsdyk said.
Auston Matthews broke out of his goal drought in defeat for Toronto, which raced back and forth with Chicago all night long at the Air Canada Centre.
Frederik Andersen had to be sharp to keep his team close, the 27-year-old denying 37 of the 39 shots the Blackhawks pelted his way. “Every day you talk about how big the game is, but that’s what we’re going to do right until the end,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said of the playoff race. “That’s a huge point for us today, an absolutely huge point. But we’ve got to keep getting better.”
Babcock felt his team limited quality chances against the Blackhawks, who have now won four in a row while sitting on top of the Western Conference with 97 points. Andersen, though, did have to come up with big stops throughout the evening, including a blocker save on reigning Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane just before Matthews made it 1-0.
Matthews hadn’t registered a goal or point since Feb. 28 before he redirected a William Nylander pass between the pads of Crawford near the midway point of the opening frame.