The Toronto Maple Leafs got a busy part of their schedule off to a good start with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday.
Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman, James van Riemsdyk and Connor Brown scored for Toronto and Frederik Andersen made 32 saves in a win that snapped the club’s three-game losing streak.
The Leafs were able to overcome another slow start, which put them at a disadvantage in losses to Calgary, Vancouver and a 3-2 home loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. Boston outshot 11-2 Toronto in the first period, but Andersen held the game scoreless until his club began to show signs of life.
Hereeee's Auston.
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 11, 2016
Matthews made it 1-0 Leafs with this goal. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/AJE3KWPDJ0
“(In) the last three games, the first period kind of did us in – we didn't start on time.… Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “It was nice to see that we were able to hold on. It still wasn't the kind of start we wanted but we didn't give up the goals….maybe because of (Andersen), but also because the guys battled.… A red-hot Matthews gave the Leafs the lead early in the second on a nice setup from William Nylander and the unit struck again later in the middle frame, as Hyman deflected a Jake Gardiner shot past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask.
Brad Marchand narrowed the lead to 2-1 late in the second, but van Riemsdyk put Toronto back up by two with his 12th goal and Brown scored into the empty net.
The win began a busy stretch of six games in nine days for the Leafs, who take on the Colorado Avalanche at Air Canada Center. The unusual Sunday night home game is the only time during the stretch where Toronto plays on back-to-back nights.
Andersen will likely play home games against San Jose, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Anaheim with a day of rest in between, but after playing in Boston, the Leafs announced that rookie Antoine Bibeau will make his first NHL start against the Avalanche.
Bibeau has a 6-5-3 record, 2.54 GAA and .907 save percentage with the Toronto Marlies and won AHL Goalie of the Month honors in October, but since has won only one game.
The Avs have the league’s worst record at 10-15-1 (21 points) and got hammered 10-1 in Montreal on Saturday, as both starter Calvin Pickard and backup Semyon Varlamov were pulled in the game.
Defenseman Martin Marincin was injured in the first period on Saturday after being tripped by Boston’s David Krejci and crashing into the end boards. The Leafs did not elaborate about the extent of the injury, but Connor Carrick is expected to take Marincin’s place in the lineup on Sunday.
The Leafs have also activated winger Josh Leivo from the non-roster/injury list. A spot for Leivo on the club’s 23-man roster opened up with the trade of Peter Holland to Arizona earlier this week, but it could be some time before the 23-year-old winger cracks the lineup.
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