Kadri scores shootout winner
TORONTO Nazem Kadri scored the shootout winner and Garret Sparks made 25 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Tuesday.
P.A. Parenteau and James van Riemsdyk scored in regulation for the Maple Leafs (10-13-5).
Lee Stempniak and Kyle Palmieri supplied the goals for the Devils (14-10-4) as Corey Schneider stopped 36 shots for New Jersey.
The Leafs went 1 for 5 on the power play while the Devils scored twice on five chances with the man advantage.
Roman Polak took a crosschecking penalty 39 seconds into the game that led to the opening goal from Stempniak, who tipped a John Moore point shot past Sparks to make it 1-0 just 45 seconds into Polak’s penalty.
Toronto had 10 of the next 11 shots on net after Stempniak scored on the first shot of the game and wound up on the board with a fluke goal from Parenteau.
Parenteau one-hopped a harmless wrister from just outside the blue line that fooled Schneider over the glove hand to tie the game 1-1 at 14:24.
Schneider was forced to bail his team out late in the first as Toronto kept the pressure on in New Jersey’s zone. The Leafs outshot the Devils 17-7 after 20 minutes and 25-17 heading into the third.
Matt Hunwick nearly had his first of the season when he rang a point shot off the post behind a screened Schneider six minutes in and Byron Froese almost had his first career NHL goal when he was sprung on a breakaway only to be stopped by Schneider.
Toronto took a 2-1 lead at 2:12 of the second when van Riemdyk tipped a Dion Phaneuf blast through Schneider’s legs while on the power play.
With Froese serving a holdingthe-stick penalty, Palmieri responded midway through the second with a one-timer from the top of the faceoff circle to make it 2-2.
Neither netminder was busy to start a slower-paced third. New Jersey had just three shots on Sparks midway through the period while the Leafs could only come up with one on Schneider.
It was the first game in Toronto since former New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello joined the Maple Leafs.
In his 28 years in charge of the Devils, Lamoriello never wanted to be a focal point.
Reporters requested to speak to Lamoriello about taking on his former team for the first time on Tuesday, but he declined. He didn’t want it to be about him. Players and management colleagues say it’s not until you get to work with him do you see what he is all about.
“The perception of Lou and the reality of Lou are two different things, and I think he kind of likes it that way,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said.
Devils forward Patrik Elias spent 19 years working for Lamoriello and knows his former boss is capable of change.
“I think he got (his reputation) for a reason, but I think it’s changed a lot compared to 10 years ago,” Elias said. “I think that the last few years, he was more aware of the change in the NHL. A lot more young guys getting an opportunity. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think he’d prefer the way it was back then, until you’re 30 and you’ve got to prove yourself, and a lot more veterans. But obviously the game has changed dramatically.”