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The Toronto Maple Leafs had a difficult time in their first meeting with the hard-working Vegas Golden Knights, but snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory at Air Canada Centre on Monday.
Mitch Marner scored the game-winner in the first round of the shootout and Frederik Andersen denied all three Vegas shooters for his eighth win of the season. Nazem Kadri tallied twice and James van Riemsdyk scored for Toronto, who move into second place in the Atlantic Division with the victory.
“I coached in Detroit for 10 years. We played in the West, and this first game at home was always the toughest. You can get off to a good start but you always ran out of gas.… Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “I was happy we were able to get off to a good start. We turned the puck over too much in the second, but I thought we dug in and we got some saves out of Freddie [Andersen] in overtime.…
The focus leading up to the game was whether Auston Matthews would play. The 20-year-old center left Monday’s morning skate after line rushes and Babcock indicated that he would game-time decision, but the Calder Trophy winner made his 98th consecutive regular season start and made an impressive rush on van Riemsdyk’s first period goal.
“(The discomfort has) been lingering a little bit and then kind of came back in that St. Louis game. It's just a little bit of soreness. It was fine to play tonight.… Matthews said. “I think you never really feel 100 percent. I felt good enough to play and felt good enough to be able to contribute tonight.…
The Leafs held practice in Etobicoke on Tuesday and Matthews did not participate, raising questions about whether he will be able to play in the Leafs next game against Minnesota.
“(Matthews) wasn’t as dominant as he usually is, (he) didn’t have the same kind of power.… Babcock said after practice at the MasterCard Centre. “We’re right in a holding pattern right now, we’ll know more this afternoon.…
Matthews’ absence once again shuffled the Leafs forward line combos and shifted Patrick Marleau back to center at practice, but the club in a precautionary measure recalled center Frederik Gauthier from the Toronto Marlies and demoted winger Kasperi Kapanen. The 22-year-old center spent most of his summer recovering from a broken leg suffered in the Calder Cup Playoff series vs Syracuse and has two assists in eight games with the Marlies and may be inserted into the lineup if Matthews is unable to play.
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The Toronto Marlies are atop the AHL’s North Division with a 9-3 record and have so many extra bodies that they are loaning players to other teams with roster shortages.
Kasimir Kaskisuo was loaned to the Chicago Wolves in late October, as the affiliate of the Golden Knights/Blues were short on goaltenders after Oscar Dansk and Maxime Lagace were recalled.
On Tuesday, the Leafs loaned veteran center Eric Fehr to the San Diego Gulls, who are the AHL team of the Anaheim Ducks. Fehr, 32, was sent down on October 28 after being placed on waivers and had not played for the Marlies since his demotion.
Anaheim announced Tuesday morning that center Ryan Getzlaf had surgery to repair a broken cheekbone and would be out for up to two months.
With Ryan Kesler also out, the Ducks were in a position that required players recalled from San Diego to stay up in the NHL on a long-term basis and Fehr would fill their spot with the Gulls.
We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40. pic.twitter.com/SOFv3bOLyt
— MLB (@MLB) November 7, 2017
RIP Roy Halladay
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