After the game, Toronto coach Mike Babcock said that ideally Andersen would start the regular-season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins have home ice against the Blue Jackets. "They're the young, up-and-coming team and they've played very, very well and deserve to be in the playoffs". A regulation loss sends the Maple Leafs to Washington and the brutal Metropolitan Division side of the draw and the Bruins to Ottawa.
Post-season hockey is new again in Toronto and for most members of the Leafs heading into a first-round series with the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals. Squandering an early four-minute power play ended up hurting them as their energy dwindled in the final 25 minutes, and they couldn't find an equalizer.
Frederik Andersen was taken out of the game thanks to this hit from Tom Sestito to start the second period.
"They're the young, up-and-coming team", Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said. On Sunday morning, however, Babcock said that while Andersen was not exhibiting concussion symptoms, he would not dress for the game.
The starting assignment for Sunday likely falls to Curtis McElhinney, who filled in Saturday and made key saves. Zaitsev staggered to the Leafs dressing room late in the first period after being hit into the boards by Nick Foligno and did not return, while Polak hobbled to the bench after getting tangled up with Boone Jenner and played only a few shifts in the third period.
The team said it would provide a further update on his status ahead of the game on Sunday.
It's the type of play Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has been trying to coax out of Kessel for weeks: Don't think, just shoot. "It's a great opportunity".
One sign that things might go sideways and fast: McElhinney's work rate went from zero to harried. "It's important for us". After van Riemsdyk gave Toronto a two-goal lead almost seven minutes into the second frame, the Blue Jackets had a response ready to go. It's different than ours, obviously, just because they've probably been sitting having dinner, watching the game.
Alleged San Bernardino gunman's Kern County case dismissed
But according to police and members of Smith's family, the union between Anderson, 53, and Smith, also 53, was anything but. Burguan did not elaborate except to say there was no "specific threat to shoot her". "She had a huge impact on his life.
"It's not a switch we can flip, no", defenseman Seth Jones said.
Sparks, 23, appeared in 29 games for the Marlies this season, posting a 20-8-0 record with the league's third-best goals-against average (2.07) and third-best save percentage (.926). We can't let panic come into our game. Something more than a weird one-off fluke like we saw in 2013. The one thing Andersen has done that Holtby hasn't is lead his team to the conference finals, which he did two years ago when he was with the Anaheim Ducks. It's really big. You don't want to go into the playoffs losing seven straight. "I was anxious whether we'd have enough juice. We are not winning enough 50-50 battles".
Matthews, chosen No. 1 in the 2016 NHL Draft, not only led all rookies, but the Maple Leafs as well, in goals (40), points (69) and shots on goal (279).
"I'm not going to pick it apart or go into a lot of talk about my team right now, because it's so hard to judge it in these type of circumstances", Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We should feel good about ourselves".
It's expected the first two games of the Ottawa series would be on Wednesday and Saturday, while Games 1 and 2 versus Washington would be Thursday and Saturday.
There will be no Battle of Ontario in the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs.
A Leafs defenceman kicked the puck into his own net, in a tie game, with 13 minutes to play, and a playoff berth on the line.
"A good win for our city and for our loyal fanbase". "I think he's a real good player and a real good man and has a chance to be a special player".
Comments