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Hutchinson shines, Marner scores OT winner as Leafs beat Senators – Toronto Sun

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On a night that Michael Hutchinson continued to get his swagger back, Kasperi Kapanen’s took a hit.

While Hutchinson was doing his part to help the Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators in overtime on Saturday night, Kapanen watched from the press box, a healthy scratch for what coach Sheldon Keefe called “internal accountability.”

Keefe refused to elaborate on Kapanen’s benching, saying the player would address the issue with media on Monday after the Leafs’ day off on Sunday.

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“It’s a one-time thing,” Keefe said. “You guys will get a chance to talk to Kappy on Monday.

“We had chatted about it (Friday) a little bit and then made our decision. I wanted to sleep on it, we talked with Kappy (Saturday) morning and made a decision and went from there.”

Speculation was that Kapanen — whose name has popped up in trade rumours with the NHL’s deadline on Feb. 24 looming — was late for practice on Friday or missed a team meeting. It was the first game of the 2019-20 season that Kapanen did not play.

It was intriguing that the Leafs were willing to let the issue linger until Monday, rather than have Kapanen address it on Saturday night.

Still, good on Keefe for putting the team ahead of the player.

As it turned out, the Leafs managed okay without Kapanen, getting a power-play goal from Mitch Marner at 3:54 of the extra period to beat the Senators 2-1 before a crowd of 19,406.

In winning for the third time in three games since the bye week ended, the Leafs moved back into third place in the Atlantic Division with 63 points, two up on the Florida Panthers. The Panthers will be in Toronto for a rather large match against the Leafs on Monday night.

Hutchinson made 24 saves, winning his fourth start in a row and perhaps putting to rest the idea that GM Kyle Dubas needs to upgrade the position behind No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen.

“Sharp, confident, we had breakdowns and he was there when they had a couple looks,” Keefe said of Hutchinson. “He was at the top of his crease, he was confident, he was aggressive. He just looked like he was out there to win the game for us and that’s what you want to see.”

Hutchinson had a couple of rough outings in relief of Andersen in January, but has not lost a start since the end of November. He was awarded the Raptors basketball in the post-game celebration in the dressing room.

“I feel like I’ve been positive all year, even at the start when things weren’t going well,” Hutchinson said. “Just kept working hard. Now that bounces are going our way a little bit and the team is playing great, we have a lot of confidence and our whole team has that swagger back.”

With Kapanen out, Keefe moved Jason Spezza to the wing on the third line with centre Pierre Engvall and Andreas Johnsson, and inserted Dmytro Timashov into the lineup to play on the fourth line with Frederik Gauthier and Trevor Moore.

After defenceman Mark Borowiecki gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at 6:08 of the second period when his shot from the point got past a screened Hutchinson, the Leafs netminder made top-notch saves on Chris Tierney and Brady Tkachuk.

Spezza, in his first game on the Leafs side of the Battle of Ontario, used his patented shot to tie the game during a Toronto power play at 10:41. Spezza took a pass from Rasmus Sandin and ripped a shot over the left shoulder of Sens goalie Craig Anderson, who barely flinched.

The goal was Spezza’s eighth of the season in 40 games, equalling his output in each of the past two seasons with Dallas, when he played in 78 games and 76 games respectively.

Spezza acknowledged that playing in Toronto has lived up to his expectations (though we would add Spezza might have felt differently until Nov. 20, the day Mike Babcock was fired and Keefe took over).

“I really appreciate the Original Six, the history behind it, the nostalgia of Saturday night games,” Spezza said. “I enjoy that. Just the fact that we’re a team trying to establish ourselves and become a real contender has been exciting for me, it gives you a purpose and it gives you a role and it has been enjoyable so far.”

LOOSE LEAFS

Marner on his one-timer from the slot: “I don’t think anyone really thinks I’m going to shoot that. Luckily, it went in.” … William Nylander’s second five-game goal-scoring streak of the season came to an end … Leafs captain John Tavares had the fan base wringing its hands when he departed the game for a chunk of the first period. Later, Tavares said it was an ankle issue and that he was fine … Spezza has been hearing for years that he should use his lethal shot more often. “My whole life I’ve been told I’ve got to shoot the puck more,” Spezza said. “You take what’s there.” … Defenceman Travis Dermott missed the game with an illness and was replaced by Martin Marincin on a pair with Tyson Barrie … This was Auston Matthews’ take on Spezza’s shot: “I find it’s really deceptive. He can look you off, make a pass or fake like he’s passing and shoot it. He has that long stick and he just snaps it really well. It’s pretty impressive.” … Anderson had a fine evening for Ottawa, stopping 34 Leafs shots.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/koshtorontosun

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Allen on trade to Devils from Habs: 'Sometimes you've got to be a little bit selfish' – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Jake Allen loved being a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

The hockey-mad market, the crackling Bell Centre on a Saturday night, the Original Six franchise’s iconic logo.

The 33-year-old goaltender is also realistic.

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With the Canadiens still in full rebuild mode — and two young netminders in Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau ready for more playing time — Allen could see the writing on the wall.

Desperate for help in their own crease, the New Jersey Devils asked Montreal about the veteran’s availability. But the team, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told reporters earlier this month, was initially on Allen’s no-trade list.

There wasn’t anything the Fredericton product disliked about the organization or city. The Devils simply appeared to have their crease set for years to come.

But when the club that finished with 112 points and made the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23 was badly hampered by poor play from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws and Akira Schmid — each netminder owned save percentages below .900 — the Devils circled back.

And Allen had changed his tune.

“Loved my time as a Hab,” he said of pulling on Montreal’s red, white and blue threads. “I always will cherish that. Put on probably the most special jersey in hockey, in my books. But you realize in your career, it doesn’t last forever.

“You’ve got to make decisions sometimes.”

Allen, who is signed through next season, eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to New Jersey ahead of the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline for a conditional third-round pick at the 2025 draft.

Apart from playing meaningful hockey on a team trying to claw its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, the swap gave him more runway to get his family settled in a new city instead of waiting to see what this summer’s crowded goalie market might bring.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit selfish,” said Allen, a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. “Look yourself in the mirror and wonder what’s best for you and your family.”

He’s been really good for his new team.

Allen was lights out in Tuesday’s first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, making an eye-popping 25 saves in what would turn into New Jersey’s 6-3 victory.

So far he’s 4-2-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average in six starts for the Devils, who sit five points back of the East’s second wild-card spot.

“A real pro,” said interim head coach Travis Green.

Allen is a combined 10-14-3 in 2023-24 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.39 GAA. Across his 11 seasons with St. Louis, Montreal and now New Jersey, he’s 193-164-41 with a .908 save percentage and 2.75 GAA.

“Makes the saves we need to get some momentum back,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “If you have a solid goalie in the net, that makes your work easier.”

Allen is also 11-12 with a .924 and a 2.06 GAA all-time in the playoffs — a good sign for his new club should New Jersey manage to make the cut.

For now, though, he’s just enjoying being back in a post-season race.

“I thought this was a good opportunity to come in the rest of this year, play some games,” Allen said.

“It’s been a good start.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.

___

Follow @JClipperton_CP on X.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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Matthews game-time decision for Maple Leafs against Capitals with illness – NHL.com

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TORONTOAuston Matthews will be a game-time decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, MNMT) because of an illness.

“It’s going to be on how he feels throughout the day,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The forward did not participate in Toronto’s morning skate. Max Domi took his place as the center on a line between Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner, a right wing recovering from a high-ankle sprain sustained March 7 and will be out the next two games.

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Matthews leads the NHL with 59 goals, one from becoming the ninth player in NHL history with at least two 60-goal seasons. He scored 60 in 73 games in 2021-22, when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. He had one goal and nine shots in 23:44 of a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, which extended his point streak to five games (four goals, seven assists).

He missed one game this season with illness, a 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16.

“Of course, it’s an adjustment when your best player is out of the lineup,” Domi said, “when anybody is out of the lineup, but I think we’ve done a great job all year of guys stepping up when they have to, and we just have to continue to do that.”

Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

“He just remains day to day,” Keefe said. “We’re hopeful he’s going to bounce back here. The one thing that is good is once he gets through this day or two here, it’s not going to be a lingering situation. It’s not going to be an injury that’s ongoing. Once he’s past it, he’s past it so we just need to give him some time.”

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Canucks place goalie Thatcher Demko on long-term injured list

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The Vancouver Canucks have placed all-star goalie Thatcher Demko on the long-term injured reserve list retroactively.

“It’s just cap related,” coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Wednesday. “We get some cap relief, that’s all it is.”

The 28-year-old netminder has been considered week to week since being sidelined with a lower-body injury midway through Vancouver’s 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9.

That injury designation hasn’t changed, Tocchet said.

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Demko boasts a 34-18-2 record this season, with a .917 save percentage, a 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.

Casey DeSmith has taken over the starting job for Vancouver, going 3-2-1 since Demko’s injury. He has a .899 save percentage on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and one shutout.

The earliest Demko could be back in the Canucks’ lineup is April 6 against the Kings in Los Angeles.

He’s expected to be a key piece as Vancouver (45-19-8) prepares for its first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also announced Wednesday that the club has called up forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.

“I’d like to see where [Bains is] at,” Tocchet said, noting he isn’t sure whether the 23-year-old winger will slot into the lineup when the Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

WATCH | Bains makes NHL debut

 

Surrey, B.C.’s Arshdeep Bains makes Canucks debut

1 month ago

Duration 2:20

Arshdeep Bains from Surrey, B.C., has made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. As CBC’s Joel Ballard reports, it’s been a hard-fought journey for the hometown kid to the big leagues.

Bains played five games for the NHL team in February before being sent back to Abbotsford.

“He went down, he’s done a couple of things that we like, and he’s got some speed,” Tocchet said.

Vancouver may get another forward back in the lineup Thursday.

Dakota Joshua practised in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in Vancouver’s 4-2 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Feb. 13.

The physical winger, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has a career-high 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) this season.

Sitting out injured “hasn’t been fun,” Joshua said.

“It feels like forever,” he said. “But at this point, that’s behind me and I’m moving forward.”

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