Auston Matthews – Page 3 – The view from left field

RANGERS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 3 POSTGAME NOTES: Auston Matthews scored Toronto’s second goal at 16:56 of the second and the third goal on the power play at 16:32 of the third period. Matthews has goals (3) in two consecutive games and points (5-2-7) in five consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his 10th multi-goal performance of 2019-20, second in the NHL, and his 21st multi-point performance of the season.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (28-19-7 – 63 Points) vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS (26-22-4 – 56 Points)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

	1	2	3	OT	FINAL
TORONTO	1	1	1	–	3
NEW YORK	3	1	1	–	5

GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY

ON THE SCORESHEET

John Tavares opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 7:36 of the first period and later registered the primary assist on Auston Matthews’ third period goal. Tavares has goals (2) and points (2-1-3) in two consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his 14th multi-point performance of 2019-20. He has registered 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 24 games on the road this season. He has 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 49 career games against the Rangers, which ranks seventh among active NHLers.
Auston Matthews scored Toronto’s second goal of the night at 16:56 of the second period before scoring the third Maple Leafs goal of the night on the power play at 16:32 of the third period. Matthews has goals (3) in two consecutive games and points (5-2-7) in five consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his 10th multi-goal performance of 2019-20, which ranks second among NHL skaters, and his 21st multi-point performance of the season. He has seven points (4-3-7) in three games against the Rangers this season. He has recorded 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 16 games against Metropolitan Division opposition.
William Nylander registered the primary assist on Tavares’ first period goal. Nylander has points (6-5-11) in nine consecutive games. In six career games at Madison Square Garden, he has registered eight points (4-4-8). He has 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 27 games on the road in 2019-20.
Justin Holl collected the secondary assist on Tavares’ first period goal. Holl has registered 10 (1-9-10) of his 15 points in 27 road games this season. He has six points (1-5-6) in 16 games against Metropolitan Division teams in 2019-20.
Andreas Johnsson recorded the primary assist on Matthews’ second period goal. Johnsson has assists (2) in two consecutive games. He has registered four points (1-3-4) over his last four games.
Kasperi Kapanen picked up the secondary assist on Matthews’ second period goal. Kapanen has assists (2) in two consecutive games. He has recorded 20 (8-12-20) of his 30 points on the road this season. He has three assists in three games against the Rangers in 2019-20.
Mitch Marner had the secondary assist on Matthews’ third period goal. Marner has assists (3) in two consecutive games and points (1-7-8) in six consecutive games. He has 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 13 games against Metropolitan Division opposition. In three games against the Rangers, he has collected four points (2-2-4).
Michael Hutchinson stopped 30 of the 34 shots he faced in the loss.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
TORONTO	9 (9)	11 (11)	10 (7)	–	30 (27)
NEW YORK	13 (11)	12 (11)	10 (9)	–	35 (31)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
TORONTO	17 (16)	27 (25)	22 (18)	–	66 (59)
NEW YORK	19 (17)	18 (16)	17 (16)	–	54 (49)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Record on the Road	15-12-0 (27 Games)
All-Time Record vs. New York	288-223-95-11 (617 Games)
All-Time Record vs. New York on the Road	120-129-56-5 (310 Games)
Record vs. Eastern Conference	15-12-5 (32 Games)
Record vs. Metropolitan Division	7-5-4 (16 Games)

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots	4 (Matthews)
Shot Attempts	11 (Matthews)
Faceoff Wins	14 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage	74% (Tavares – 14 won, 5 lost)
Hits	3 (Engvall)
Blocked Shots	2 (Johnsson, Sandin)
Takeaways	2 (Barrie, Marner)
TOI	25:30 (Barrie)
Power Play TOI	2:03 (Four players tied)
Shorthanded TOI	2:19 (Ceci, Muzzin)
Shifts	27 (Barrie)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage	72.7% (Timashov – 16 for, 6 against)

RECORD WHEN…

Scoring first	19-4-1
Trail after 1	3-12-3
Trail after 2	2-12-4
Score one power play goal	9-7-4
Do not allow a power play goal	15-7-3
Outshot by opponent	13-11-3
Wednesday	3-4-1

OF NOTE…

The Maple Leafs went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and 1-for-2 on the power play tonight.
Tyson Barrie was on the ice for a team-high 30 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Barrie had a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.6 percent (30 for, 25 against).
Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen started 33.3 percent of their 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
John Tavares won 78 percent (7 won, 2 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs and was 6-for-9 (67%) on the draw when matched up against New York centre Ryan Strome in all situations.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Friday, February 7, 7:00 p.m. vs. Anaheim Ducks (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
Saturday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. at Montreal Canadiens (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
Tuesday, February 11, 7:00 p.m. vs. Arizona Coyotes (TSN, TSN 1050)
Thursday, February 13, 7:00 p.m. vs. Dallas Stars (Sportsnet Ontario, FAN 590)
Saturday, February 15, 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa Senators (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)

PANTHERS 5, LEAFS 3 — WHAT THEY SAID: “(Frederik Andersen) went through that whole (concussion) process. My understanding is the results were positive on that. Given the nature of the injury, we wanted to take caution and give it time. We’ll give it tonight and see how he is in the morning.” –SHELDON KEEFE.

HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE

On Frederik Andersen’s status:

I guess he’s feeling better. That’s what I’m told. They’re just going to have to give him the night and see how he is in the morning.

On what collision caused the injury:

I don’t know those details.

On if Andersen underwent concussion testing:

He was, he went through that whole process. My understanding is the results were positive on that. Given the nature of the injury, we wanted to take caution and give it time. We’ll give it tonight and see how he is in the morning.

On if he knows whether Andersen will travel to New York tomorrow:

No. We’ll see how he is in the morning and if he’s on the ice for practice and all that kind of stuff. Practice hasn’t been ruled out for tomorrow at this point.

On the team’s play tonight:

I thought we played a really good game. If we play that type of game 100 times, we probably win 99 of them, something in that neighborhood. But you don’t get the points and that hurts. Obviously, we get the 3-1 goal and it should be over from there. We lose our focus a little bit and then we let them get the second one, and we just never really recovered. That was a challenge for us.

On the loss as an example of the team’s immaturity:

Yes and no. The result sucks, right? I don’t think the result is in any way indicative of the way the game went. When you talk about the maturity of our team, a lot of the narrative is how we can’t defend. That’s the best defensive game we’ve played the entire season. I don’t know if we gave up over four scoring chances at even-strength the whole hockey game. That’s the way it goes. We would have liked to have more offence and score more and grow a bigger lead. We had plenty of opportunities to do that and we didn’t. We let them hang around in the game and then, as I said, we did lose composure, I thought. Not composure, but just got distracted by the 3-1 goal and perhaps that’s an area we’d like to have back and do better job of. There’s a lot of things to like about what we did today.

On his level of confidence in Hutchinson if he needs to take over as the starter:

I’m not going to answer that tonight.

On how Hutchinson fared coming into the game after Andersen’s injury:

Obviously, it didn’t go very well but it’s a challenging scenario. He comes in cold and he’s not expecting to play. He goes in the second period and other than a couple of dump-ins, I don’t know if he had any shots. So that’s a tough ask of any goalie. He is part of the team and wants the opportunity and he’s in the net. You’d like to see positive results. I’d take a lot more from the games played for us previous to tonight.

MICHAEL HUTCHINSON (10 SAVES)

On the challenge of coming into a game cold:

It’s definitely difficult. It’s one of those things that you try to do your best to get your body ready and prepared. It’s probably the hardest thing in pro sports as far as going in cold. Baseball players have bullpen, football quarterbacks going in cold can throw a few balls on the sideline. As a goalie, you go from sitting around to jumping right in the game and being thrown right into it. So I thought our guys did a great job playing the second period and letting me get a chance to get my feet wet.

On when he knew he was going into the game:

A few minutes into the second intermission I got the heads up I was going in.

On his mindset if he needs to play more often going forward:

The same as it has been. Just take it one day at a time. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing every single night or once every two weeks, you have to approach each day. Try and get better and try to take advantage of each day and if I happen to get more starts than that, that’s what it is. Hopefully Freddie is good.

AUSTON MATTHEWS (1 GOAL)

On tonight’s loss:

I think it just got away from us. We played 45 to 50 minutes of really, really good hockey. Some of our best over the last couple weeks and then we had the puck quite a bit, we had plenty of chances. It just got away from us, I think. Just maybe a lack of focus and concentration and obviously we didn’t take advantage. These were valuable points that were on the line for us and we were in a really good spot going into the third.

On the team’s reaction after Andersen didn’t return in the second period:

You’ve still got to play. He’s a big part of this team, obviously, but when he goes down, we’ve got faith in Hutch. We just didn’t play well in front of him for the last 20 minutes.

On the focus shifting back to the week’s upcoming games:

Yeah, absolutely. We have three more games. This is a team that is obviously in our division and these were important points. This one got away from us, move on to Wednesday in New York and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

WILIAM NYLANDER (1 GOAL)

On what happened in the third period following a strong first 40 minutes:

I think we just relaxed a little bit and they capitalized on their chances and that’s obviously something we can’t do.

On how difficult it will be to turn the page after tonight’s loss:

No, it’s fine. We take what we did well from this game and move on. There’s nothing about being upset about this.

JOHN TAVARES (1 GOAL)

On a tough loss tonight:

Yeah, obviously disappointing. It’s not going to be a good feeling leaving the rink, especially I think overall the way we played, we got sloppy early in the third and just didn’t do a good enough job exiting our zone clean at times. That obviously led to some of their opportunities. There’s a lot of hockey left so we just have to turn the page as disappointing as this one is we have to get ready for three more this week.

On making sense of the third period breakdown:

Well we came out really well, got a big goal and, for whatever reason, we just didn’t have a good response, good momentum after that and led to some opportunities and they started to get some belief and some momentum and we weren’t able to do a good enough job the rest of the period.

PANTHERS AT MAPLE LEAFS PREGAME NOTES: Auston Matthews is third in the NHL with 36 goals. – Leads the league with 27 even-strength goals.- Leads in goals scored at 5-on-5 (22).- Tied for the lead in wrist shot goals (23).- Second in multi-goal games (9).- Tied for 11th among in points (36-25-61).- Fifth with 205 shots on goal.

FLORIDA PANTHERS (28-17-5 – 61 Points) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (28-17-7 – 63 Points)

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 ▪ 7:00 PM EST

SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: TSN4 ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN

MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus FLORIDA

ALL-TIME RECORD:	43-34-7-5 (89 Games)
ALL-TIME AT HOME:	25-15-2-1 (43 Games)
2019-20:	0-1-0
LAST FIVE:	2-1-1
LAST 10:	5-2-3

MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus FLORIDA

GAMES PLAYED:	Jason Spezza (49), John Tavares (33), Morgan Rielly (26)
GOALS:	John Tavares (20), Jason Spezza (11), Mitch Marner (7)
ASSISTS:	Jason Spezza (27), Morgan Rielly (17), John Tavares (10)
POINTS:	Jason Spezza (38), John Tavares (30), Morgan Rielly (18)
PENALTY MINUTES:	Jason Spezza (20), John Tavares (12), Tyson Barrie (10), William Nylander (10)

MAPLE LEAFS – PANTHERS TEAM STATS

	TORONTO	FLORIDA
GOALS FOR (Rank):	187 (2nd)	180 (5th)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):	167 (25th)	164 (22nd)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):	35/142 [24.6%] (4th)	38/161 [23.6%] (6th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):	113/146 [77.4%] (25th)	108/139 [77.7%] (24th)
SHOTS (Rank):	1751 (4th)	1660 (12th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):	2646 (3rd)	2235 (t-22nd)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):	52.6% (5th)	49.8% (16th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):	52.9% (3rd)	50.2% (13th)

MAPLE LEAFS – PANTHERS NOTES

FIRST MATCHUP BETWEEN CLUBS:	October 21, 1993 (Toronto 4, Florida 3 OT)
ALL-TIME RECORD:	43-34-7-5 (89 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD AT HOME:	25-15-2-1 (43 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD ON THE ROAD:	18-19-5-4 (46 Games)
LAST WIN VS. OPPONENT ON THE ROAD:	March 25, 2019 (Toronto 7, Florida 5)

MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. PANTHERS

Michael Hutchinson	Appeared in four games for Florida during the 2018-19 season.
Zach Hyman	Selected by Florida in the fifth round (123rd overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Mitch Marner	100th NHL game (Nov. 22, 2017 at FLA)
John Tavares	500th NHL point (Jan. 13, 2017 (NYI) at FLA)

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER
GOALS	36 (Matthews)
ASSISTS	37 (Marner)
POINTS	61 (Matthews)
POWER PLAY POINTS	18 (Marner, Matthews)
SHORTHANDED POINTS	2 (Engvall, Kapanen)
PIMs	34 (Muzzin)
SHOTS	205 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%	57.9% (Gauthier)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %	55.4% (Nylander)
BLOCKED SHOTS	76 (Muzzin)
TAKEAWAYS	55 (Matthews)
HITS	92 (Muzzin)
TOI PER GAME	24:15 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME	3:06 (Marner)
SH TOI PER GAME	2:52 (Ceci)

MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES

Frederik Andersen	– Is 10-5-6 at home this season with a 3.16 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. – Second in the NHL in wins (24).- Has recorded a save percentage over .900 in 24 of his starts, which is tied for fourth-most starts with a save percentage of .900 or higher.
Tyson Barrie	– Has five multi-assist games, which is tied for ninth-most among NHL defencemen.- Tied for sixth among NHL defencemen in multi-point games (9). – Has been on the ice for 53 Toronto goals at even-strength, which is tied for 13th among NHL defencemen in on-ice goals for at even-strength.- Leads the Maple Leafs in slap shots taken (43). Lone Toronto skater to have taken over 30 slap shots.
Cody Ceci	– One of 19 NHL defencemen to appear in at least 40 games and maintain a 5-on-5 on-ice goals-for percentage over 52 percent (52.3%) while starting fewer than 48 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone (47%).- One of two Maple Leaf defencemen (Jake Muzzin) to have appeared in 40 games and average at least four hits per 60 minutes of ice time (4.70) and four blocked shots per 60 minutes of ice time (4.15).
Pierre Engvall	– Has started 40.5 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the fourth lowest percentage among NHL rookies.- Is the lone Maple Leaf to average at least 1:00 per game in shorthanded ice time (1:09) and be even in on-ice goals while shorthanded (2 SHGF, 2 PPGA).
Justin Holl	– One of 24 right-handed defencemen in the NHL to have an on-ice goals-for percentage of at least 53 percent (53.9%) at even-strength.- Has the highest unblocked shot attempt percentage at 5-on-5 (52.6%) among right-handed defencemen to have started fewer than 45 percent (44.9%) of their shifts in the offensive zone.
Michael Hutchinson	– Has a 3-1-1 record with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage on home ice this season.
Zach Hyman	– Fourth among Toronto skaters in points since January 1 (5-5-10; 11 GP).- Has eight points (3-5-8) in seven games against Atlantic Division opponents this season.- Ranks fifth among Maple Leafs skaters in points per game (0.76).
Andreas Johnsson	– Has registered 44 (21 goals, 23 assists) of his 64 career points in 62 games at Scotiabank Arena.- Averages 2.00 shots per game, which ranks seventh among Toronto forwards.- Has drawn 11 penalties this season, which is tied for third-most among Toronto skaters.
Kasperi Kapanen	– Fifth among Toronto skaters in even-strength points (8-15-23).- Has been on the ice for four of Toronto’s five shorthanded goals this season.- Has 10 points (3-7-10) in 14 games against Atlantic Division opponents.
Alex Kerfoot	– Tied for seventh among Maple Leafs in even-strength goals (7). – 10th among Maple Leafs in even-strength points (7-11-18).- Has eight points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 12 games against Atlantic Division teams.
Mitch Marner	– Has 10 multi-assist games, which is tied for the sixth-most among NHL skaters.- Averaging 1.24 points per game, which is the 11th-highest average in the NHL.- Averaging 1.49 primary assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks second among NHLers who have appeared in at least 30 games.- Ninth in the NHL in primary assists (25). His 25 primary assists are the most among NHLers who have appeared in 45 or fewer games.- Ranks fifth among NHL right wingers in shorthanded ice time per game (2:14).
Auston Matthews	– Third among NHL skaters in goals (36).- Leads the League with 27 even-strength goals.- Leads the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (22).- Tied for the NHL lead in wrist shot goals (23).- Second in the NHL in multi-goal games (9).- Tied for 11th among NHL skaters in points (36-25-61).- Fifth in the NHL with 205 shots on goal.
William Nylander	– Ranks first in goals (24) and second in points (24-23-47) among Swedish skaters this season.- Tied for the Maple Leaf lead in game-winning goals (4).- Has scored the first goal of the game three times for the Maple Leafs, which is tied for the most first goals among Toronto skaters.- One of 11 NHLers to average at least 14:00 minutes per game at 5-on-5 (14:34) while maintaining a goal per 60-minute rate of at least 1.20 (1.27).
Jason Spezza	– Averaging 2.08 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is the fifth-highest average among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 20 games.- Averaging 1.12 assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is tied for fourth among Maple Leafs who have appeared in at least 20 games.
John Tavares	– Tied for 25th among NHL skaters in multi-point games (13).- Has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in 12 games against Atlantic Division opponents this season.- Has won 58.0 percent (235 won, 170 lost) of his faceoffs on home ice this season, which ranks seventh among NHL skaters who have taken 300 draws at home.- Has an on-ice shot attempt percentage of 54.8 percent at 5-on-5 when the Maple Leafs are leading in games, which is the highest percentage when leading among NHL forwards who have appeared in at least 40 games and average 15 minutes per game in 5-on-5 ice time (15:43).- Has drawn a team-high 14 penalties this season.

CURRENT POINT STREAKS

Zach Hyman	Has points (2-2-4) in three consecutive games.
Mitch Marner	Has points (1-4-5) in four consecutive games.
Auston Matthews	Has assists (2) and points (2-2-4) in three consecutive games.
William Nylander	Has points (5-4-9) in seven consecutive games.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

Jason Spezza	Five assists from 600 assists
John Tavares	Four games from 800 games

RECENT MILESTONES

Rasmus Sandin	First NHL goal (January 27 at Nashville)

INJURY REPORT

Travis Dermott (Illness)	Did not play on February 1 vs. Ottawa.
Ilya Mikheyev (Wrist Laceration)	On injured reserve.
Morgan Rielly (Foot)	On injured reserve.
	Man Games Lost: 126

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

January 31	Loaned defenceman Kevin Gravel to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
January 31	Recalled defenceman Kevin Gravel from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
January 30	Loaned forward Tyler Gaudet to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

Leafs great Vaive sees 50 in Matthews’ sights, if not beating his record 54 goals — Toronto Sun

Rick Vaive was having a fine time at the Maple Leafs’ Blue & White gala at the Royal York earlier this month when he bumped into Auston Matthews. Read More
Leafs great Vaive sees 50 in Matthews’ sights, if not beating his record 54 goals — Toronto Sun

FLAMES 2, MAPLE LEAFS 1 (SO)– What the Leafs said: “You’ve just to tip your hat to (David Rittich). He made some unbelievable saves early in the game and then I think we were kind of flat there in the second a bit. In the third, we had, obviously, lots of really good chances. … Obviously, we would have loved to get the two points. We clawed our way back and got it to overtime and grabbed one. Definitely a game that could have gone the other way.” –AUSTON MATTHEWS.

HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE

On tonight’s game:

I thought that it was a pretty even game all the way through. The scoreboard reflected that. I liked the way we found a way to tie the game, that’s a big point for us down in the third period, a big power play goal, we really needed it. We could have used one in the second there or earlier in the game but obviously we’ll take that. We generated a number of chances that, on another night, are going to go in for us. Their goaltender was very good, some of the luck didn’t go our way. Sometimes these things are going to happen. I liked, though, that within all that, we didn’t lose our defensive structure very often and then there’s some things we’d like to do a little bit better job of in our own zone. But for the most part I thought it was pretty solid effort for us defensively and we just couldn’t get one to go in for us there.

On tonight’s goaltenders both being selected for the All-Star Game:

Yeah, I think that was on display here today, for sure. I guess that’s the way that it works out because if the two goalies go head-to-head you end up with a low scoring affair. So, it works out that way. As I said, I thought we had a number of really good chances that their guy made real good on and also there’s a few of ours were just pucks rolling on us or just bouncing over our stick. As I say, these things are going to happen every now and again.

On the challenge of starting overtime with a long defensive zone shift:

Well, it makes it so some of your best guys early on there are pretty tired and don’t get to touch the puck. That’s really it. It was we didn’t get the puck; we lost the draw and they didn’t give it up. They did a good job of retaining it. When they did get a look or two, they got it back quickly. So they just made it hard on us. After that we got through it and things were pretty even, I thought, after.

On the decision to put Johnsson on Matthews’ wing:

I just didn’t feel like we had much going. I thought today was, for the Matthews line, the one day it didn’t seem like much was really happening. I just tried to change the chemistry a little bit and tried to get some different looks. That’s really it.

On if he saw some jump from Johnsson as he’s making his way back from injury:

I did at times, yeah. I also saw it was very apparent that he’s behind her in terms of his conditioning and such. His shifts are real short, he gathers his energy and goes out and has bursts, but then he’s pretty gassed after that. I saw him a number of times coming back to the bench tired so that’s something he’s going to have to work his way though and we’ll help him do that, but I did think he made some plays at good times there. He put [Matthews] in a really good spot to get one for us there off the stick of Mango but it didn’t fall. That was nice to see him start to come.

FREDERIK ANDERSEN (31 SAVES)

On tonight’s game:

Yeah, it was a really fun game to be a part of. I thought both teams played well and he made some good saves to keep it at one. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get another one.

On the team sticking with it despite not scoring:

I thought we started really well. We didn’t get much in the beginning and we just kept playing the right way and playing through our process. We get rewarded to tie things up in the third and it’s too bad we didn’t get the extra point.

AUSTON MATTHEWS (12 SHOT ATTEMPTS)

On David Rittich as the difference tonight:

Absolutely. You’ve just to tip your hat to him. He made some unbelievable saves early in the game and then I think we were kind of flat there in the second a bit. In the third we had, obviously, lots of really good chances. He made some really unbelievable saves. So you’ve got to tip your hat to him. Obviously, we would have loved to get the two points. We clawed our way back and got it to overtime and grabbed one. Definitely a game that could have gone the other way.

On being stopped on a 2-on-1 opportunity in the third period:

That’s all I saw. Just tried to shoot it and get it up over his pad or his blocker. He made a really good save.

On evidence that tonight’s goaltenders are worthy of their all-star nods:

Yeah, I don’t want to keep repeating myself, but he had a great game, he made some really good saves that kept them in the game that allowed the game to go to overtime, especially at the end of the third period.

WILLIAM NYLANDER (1 GOAL)

On the play of David Rittich:

I think he was patient. He had a great game and I think he was feeling good about his game today. He did a great job.

On what he liked most about the team’s game tonight:

I think we were creating a lot of chances. Their goalie stood on his head and when that happens you’ve got to be happy with the way we played and take that away from this game.

On his power play goal:

Well I think we got moving around. I think as we got more power plays, we kind of got a feel for what they were doing, and we got an open area there and were able to put it in.

JOHN TAVARES (1 ASSIST)

On a competitive match from start to finish:

Yeah it was a tight hockey game. They defend well and their D do a really good job around their net, breaking out of their end, being a crucial part, I think, of their overall game. There are going to be some nights where you’re going to have to make some adjustments and continue to work and stay with it to find solutions. Obviously, we had a few power plays tonight and would have been nice to get one more, but we got one to get ourselves to overtime. It was just one of those nights where it seemed like the puck was bouncing a lot too. Just tried to stay with it, get good opportunities and get to the interior and it obviously came down to the shootout and we just weren’t able to find the next one.

On the play of David Rittich:

I thought he was reading the play extremely well. He made a couple of really good cross-crease, cross-ice passes. Just was tracking the puck and squaring up on a lot of good looks that he made look easy and he wasn’t making it easy for us to beat him tonight. He played well. Obviously, we would have liked to get more on the interior but it was a tight game and just weren’t able to find it.

LEAFS 7, DEVILS 4: WHAT THE LEAFS SAID: “I thought we started off really well. I thought the first period we had the puck a lot, created some chances that didn’t go in. All the lines were contributing tonight. So, I think for us, it was just a matter of time. … They made some unbelievable plays to feed me the puck tonight and I just tried to put it in.” –AUSTON MATTHEWS.

HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE

On Rasmus Sandin’s play:

Well, the biggest thing about [Sandin’s] game is his poise. And I think that’s — when you have that it’ll get fazed by where you’re at. He has that in spades, and he showed it again today.

On tonight’s effort:

I liked it. I thought our first period was really good, liked a lot about that. Of course, I liked that we were able to score goals again here today. I didn’t like our second period at all. To me, this has happened to us before where the third period is where the puck ends up in our net, but I actually liked a lot about our third period. The second period, to me, with the puck offensively was one of the worst periods that we’ve had since I’ve been here. I thought we cleaned that up a lot in the third period with how we handled the puck and how we maintained the puck. We just had some breakdowns again where guys got in behind us. We don’t like to see that, but we’d much rather see it in a game like this where we can continue to nail down on it and teach on it rather than whether it’s 0-0 or whatever the case may be where it’s going to really hurt us. Today I think it helps our cause because it’s something defensively to nail down.

On why he has stuck with the Hyman-Matthews-Marner line:

Just feel like there’s some good chemistry going on there. We want to get more time for [Tavares] and [Nylander] to play together. We’re trying to find the right fit there. Obviously, we tried Engvall with them today. We wanted to get Kerfoot back in the middle and thought there were some pieces of Pierre’s game that could help John and Willy. I really like what we see from that trio with Matthews.

On Jason Spezza reaching the 1,100-game milestone:

To me, the way he approaches the game, he’s a guy who’s 10 years younger every day. He’s got a great passion for the game, it keeps him hungry, it keeps him working every single day. He wants more all the time, he wants more information, he wants more touches in practice, he wants more time with the skills coaches. He’s hungry all the time to stay sharp and continue to work and get better. That really sets the tone for our team.

On what power play minutes can do for Sandin’s confidence:

I would think it would help him. I’ve seen the impact he can make on the power play with that poise and also with his ability to get the puck to the net. He really transformed the power play with us with the Marlies last year when he got healthy early in the season. He started the season on the IR. And then once he got healthy, our power play went from one of the worst in the League to one of the best. I felt pretty strongly that he would be able to give us something there on that second unit today.

ZACH HYMAN (1 GOAL, 1 ASSIST)

On what was working well tonight:

Well, we were scoring. Still a little frustrating obviously, you don’t want to give up and let them come back in the game at the end there, but huge win for us. Good to get back in the win column.

On the team bouncing back after Sunday’s game in Florida:

I think there were times in the game where we played the right way and dominated play. We got our chances and put them in so that was positive and then seeing Rasmus step up was awesome. He’s a great player so it showed pretty early. He kind of got some confidence there and it was good to see him step up.

MITCH MARNER (2 ASSISTS)

On what the team did well tonight:

I thought we controlled the puck well. I thought we got away from it a little bit in the second, kind of flipping it and trying to chase it more. I thought we did a good job when we had it in the third and in the first. We were calming plays down, we were bringing it back, setting things up and coming as a unit and I think when we do that, we’re a scary team and we’re hard to stop.

On Sandin’s game:

Well, I think his game matches ours very well. You saw tonight, his poise with the puck, his defensive play is top notch and he showed it here tonight. You saw it at World Juniors as well. He’s been impressive to watch. He’s a great player and, you saw it tonight, he made plays, he made stuff happen all over the ice. He’s got a very good head on his shoulders; he plays very well.

AUSTON MATTHEWS (3 GOALS)

On plays with his linemates that led to his hat trick:

I thought we started off really well. I thought the first period we had the puck a lot, created some chances that didn’t go in. All the lines were contributing tonight. So, I think for us, it was just a matter of time. Like you said, they made some unbelievable plays to feed me the puck tonight and I just tried to put it in.

On tonight’s effort coming after the loss in Florida:

I think we wanted to have a good bounce back game. A little bit of a lull in the second period. Some stuff that I think we’d like to clean up and do better but, all in all, nice to get back in the win column and push forward these last two games.

RASMUS SANDIN (2 ASSISTS)

On returning to the Maple Leafs:

It was a fun game and good to get the win. First one after the call up so it felt good.

On if he’s more comfortable after the season he has had and prior NHL experience:

A little bit. I feel confident out there and I feel like I know all the guys a little bit more, all the staff. So the group is really good and help me in every way the can, so it’s been good I’d say.

On getting a pair of assists in the first period of his first game back:

It’s great. I think my shots weren’t the hardest or it would have been scored on, but they get a stick on it. It’s great to help the team a little bit.

MAPLE LEAFS 7, DEVILS 4 POSTGAME NOTES: Auston Matthews had his ninth multi-goal game of 2019-20, which leads the NHL, and his second career hat trick (Previous: October 12, 2016 at Ottawa). He has 19 multi-point games this season. He has seven goals over his past five games. In 23 games on home ice, he has recorded 39 points (27 goals, 12 assists).

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (17-22-7 – 41 Points) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (25-16-6 – 56 Points)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020

	1	2	3	OT	FINAL
NEW JERSEY	0	1	3	–	4
TORONTO	3	2	2	–	7

GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY

ON THE SCORESHEET

John Tavares opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 5:18 of the first period before picking up the secondary assist on Nylander’s second period goal and later adding the secondary assist on Auston Matthews’ second period goal. Tonight’s game is his fourth multi-assist and 13th multi-point game of the season. He has 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 42 career games against the Devils. Tavares has goals (2) and points (2-2-4) in two consecutive games. He has two goals and four assists against New Jersey in 2019-20. In 11 games against Metropolitan Division teams he has recorded 5 goals and 8 assists.
Frederik Gauthier scored the second Toronto goal of the night at 9:10 of the first period. He has two goals over his last four games. He has recorded seven (5-2-7) of his 10 points on home ice this season.
Zach Hyman scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the game on the power play at 19:56 of the first period and later had the secondary assist on Auston Matthews’ third period goal. Hyman has goals (2), assists (3) and points (2-3-5) in two consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his fifth multi-point performance of the season. He has 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 11 games on home ice this season.
William Nylander collected the secondary assist on Tavares’ first period goal and later scored the fourth Toronto goal of the night at 2:12 of the second period. Nylander has assists (2) and points (1-2-3) in two consecutive games. He two goals and three assists in two games against New Jersey this season. Tonight’s game is Nylander’s 10th multi-point performance of 2019-20. His second period goal is his 20th goal of the season — the third time he has reached the 20-goal mark in his career.
Auston Matthews scored the Maple Leafs fifth goal of the game on the power play at 10:39 of the second period and later added Toronto’s sixth goal of the night at 3:58 of the third period before scoring the Maple Leafs’ seventh goal of the night into an empty net at 18:40 of the third period. Tonight’s game is Matthews’ ninth multi-goal game of 2019-20, which leads the NHL, and his second career hat trick (Previous: October 12, 2016 at Ottawa). He has registered multi-points in a game on 19 occasions this season. He has seven goals over his last five games played. In 23 games on home ice, he has recorded 39 points (27 goals, 12 assists).
Rasmus Sandin registered the primary assist on Tavares’ first period goal and later had the primary assist on Hyman’s first period goal. Tonight’s game is Sandin’s first career multi-assist and multi-point game. He was recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on January 13. He has four assists in seven games with the Maple Leafs this season. He has 15 points (2-13-15) in 21 games with the Marlies in 2019-20, while collecting 10 points (3-7-10) in seven games at the 2020 World Juniors.
William Nylander collected the secondary assist on Tavares’ first period goal. Nylander has assists (2) in two consecutive games. He recorded a goal and two assists on December 27 at New Jersey. He has 16 points (8-8-16) in 15 games against Metropolitan Division teams.
Jason Spezza had the secondary assist on Hyman’s first period goal. Spezza has two points (1-1-2) in his last four games. Tonight’s game is his 1,100th career NHL game, making him the 196th player in League history to reach the milestone. He has recorded 933 career NHL points (338 goals, 595 assists).
Pierre Engvall registered the primary assist on Nylander’s second period goal. He has recorded five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in six games during the month of January. In 10 games on home ice, he has collected six points (4-2-6).
Mitch Marner recorded the primary assist on Matthews’ second period goal and later had the primary assist on Matthews’ third period goal. Marner has points (3-8-11) in eight consecutive games. His 21 primary assists are the ninth-most in the NHL. He has recorded 25 of his 33 assists in 21 games on home ice this season. In six games during the month of January, he has registered nine points (4-5-9).
Frederik Andersen stopped 24 shots to earn his 22nd win of the season.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
NEW JERSEY	7 (6)	10 (6)	11 (9)	–	28 (21)
TORONTO	16 (9)	6 (2)	12 (10)	–	34 (21)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
NEW JERSEY	15 (11)	20 (16)	24 (21)	–	59 (48)
TORONTO	27 (17)	12 (3)	19 (17)	–	58 (37)

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Record at Home	12-5-6 (23 Games)
All-Time Record vs. New Jersey	75-41-20-9 (144 Games)
All-Time Record vs. New Jersey at Home	48-17-5-3 (73 Games)
Record vs. Eastern Conference	14-10-5 (29 Games)
Record vs. Metropolitan Division	7-4-4 (15 Games)
Attendance	19,124

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots	5 (Barrie, Nylander)
Shot Attempts	7 (Matthews)
Faceoff Wins	12 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage	100% (Gauthier – 6 won, 0 lost)
Hits	4 (Ceci)
Blocked Shots	4 (Holl)
Takeaways	3 (Hyman, Marincin)
TOI	21:51 (Marner)
Power Play TOI	5:12 (Marner, Matthews, Tavares)
Shorthanded TOI	4:15 (Marincin)
Shifts	24 (Holl)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage	65.2% (Marincin – 15 for, 8 against)

RECORD WHEN…

Scoring first	17-3-1
Lead after 1	13-2-1
Lead after 2	18-1-2
Score multiple power play goals	6-1-0
Allow one power play goal	12-8-3
Outshooting opponent	12-6-2
Tuesday	6-3-1

OF NOTE…

The Maple Leafs went 3-for-4 on the penalty kill and 2-for-4 on the power play tonight.
Travis Dermott was on the ice for a team-high 16 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Dermott finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 43.2 percent (16 for, 21 against).
Cody Ceci started 11.1 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
Auston Matthews was 6-for-8 (75%) in the faceoff circle against New Jersey centre Nico Hischier.
John Tavares won 63 percent (5 won, 3 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Thursday, January 16, 7:00 p.m. vs. Calgary Flames (TSN4, FAN 590)
Saturday, January 18, 7:00 p.m. vs. Chicago Blackhawks (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
Monday, January 27, 8:00 p.m. at Nashville Predators (TSN4, TSN 1050)
Wednesday, January 29, 7:30 p.m. at Dallas Stars (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
Saturday, February 1, 7:00 p.m. vs. Ottawa Senators (Sportsnet, TSN 1050).

DEVILS AT MAPLE LEAFS PREGAME NOTES: Auston Matthews is second in the NHL with 31 goals.- First to score 20 even-strength goals this season. Leads NHL with 23 even-strength goals.- Leads in goals scored at 5-on-5 (20).- Leads in multi-goal games (8).- Tied for 10th among in even-strength points (23-15-38).- Fifth with 175 shots on goal.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (17-21-7 – 41 Points) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (24-16-6 – 54 Points)

JANUARY 14, 2020 ▪ 7:00 PM EST

SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050

MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus NEW JERSEY

ALL-TIME RECORD:	74-41-20-9 (144 Games)
ALL-TIME AT HOME:	47-17-5-3 (73 Games)
2019-20:	1-0-0
LAST FIVE:	4-1-0
LAST 10:	7-2-1

MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus NEW JERSEY

GAMES PLAYED:	Jason Spezza (41), John Tavares (41), Morgan Rielly (19)
GOALS:	John Tavares (18), Jason Spezza (8), Auston Matthews (5)
ASSISTS:	Jason Spezza (27), John Tavares (16), Morgan Rielly (6)
POINTS:	Jason Spezza (35), John Tavares (34), Auston Matthews (10)
PENALTY MINUTES:	Jason Spezza (18), John Tavares (16), William Nylander (8), Morgan Rielly (8)

MAPLE LEAFS – DEVILS TEAM STATS

	TORONTO	NEW JERSEY
GOALS FOR (Rank):	165 (1st)	118 (t-28th)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):	150 (27th)	152 (29th)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):	29/122 [23.2%] (7th)	32/139 [14.3%] (30th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):	99/130 [75.8%] (26th)	90/115 [80.1%] (17th)
SHOTS (Rank):	1547 (5th)	1401 (21st)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):	2342 (3rd)	1868 (29th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):	52.8% (6th)	47.1% (28th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):	52.6% (3rd)	47.3% (29th)

MAPLE LEAFS – DEVILS NOTES

FIRST MATCHUP BETWEEN CLUBS:	October 9, 1974 vs. Kansas City (Toronto 6, Kansas City 2)
ALL-TIME RECORD:	74-41-20-9 (144 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD AT HOME:	47-17-5-3 (73 Games)
ALL-TIME RECORD ON THE ROAD:	27-24-15-5 (71 Games)
LAST WIN VS. OPPONENT AT HOME:	November 9, 2018 (Toronto 6, New Jersey 1)

MAPLE LEAFS MILESTONES vs. DEVILS

Alex Kerfoot	Selected by New Jersey in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
William Nylander	200th NHL game (Jan. 10, 2019 at NJD)
John Tavares	300th NHL goal (Jan. 10, 2019 at NJD)

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER
GOALS	31 (Matthews)
ASSISTS	31 (Marner)
POINTS	54 (Matthews)
POWER PLAY POINTS	16 (Matthews)
SHORTHANDED POINTS	2 (Engvall, Kapanen)
PIMs	34 (Muzzin)
SHOTS	175 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%	57.8% (Gauthier)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %	55.6% (Matthews)
BLOCKED SHOTS	71 (Ceci)
TAKEAWAYS	51 (Matthews)
HITS	87 (Muzzin)
TOI PER GAME	24:15 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME	3:05 (Marner)
SH TOI PER GAME	2:58 (Ceci)

MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES

Frederik Andersen	– Is 9-4-5 at home this season with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. – Has made eight career appearances against the Devils and is 6-2-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.- Third in the NHL in wins (21).- Third in the NHL in total saves (1,010) and second in even-strength saves (856).
Tyson Barrie	– Has four multi-assist games, which is tied for 12th-most among NHL defencemen.- Tied for 11th among NHL defencemen in multi-point games (7) – One of 13 NHL defencemen to have recorded at least 115 shots on goal (118).- Has seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 14 games against Metropolitan Division opposition.
Cody Ceci	– 14th among NHL skaters in shorthanded time on ice (136:35).- Has played 61.7 percent of Toronto’s shorthanded ice time, which is tied for the 14th-highest shorthanded time on ice percentage among NHLers who have appeared in at least 30 games.
Pierre Engvall	– Second among NHL rookies who have appeared in at least 20 games in goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (1.18).- Averages 4.2 shots on goal per 60 minutes of ice time while shorthanded.
Justin Holl	– Has started 45.2 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest mark among Toronto defencemen who have appeared in at least 20 games.- Has an unblocked shot attempt percentage of 52.8 percent at 5-on-5, which is the third-highest percentage among Toronto defencemen who have appeared in at least 20 games.- Has a 5-on-5 on-ice goals-for percentage of 55.3 percent, which is the highest percentage among Maple Leafs defencemen who have appeared in at least 20 games.
Michael Hutchinson	– Has a 2-1-1 record with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage on home ice this season.
Zach Hyman	– Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.7 percent, which is tied for fourth among Toronto skaters who have played 20 games.- Has an on-ice goals for percentage of 58.1 percent at 5-on-5, which is third among Toronto skaters who have played 20 games. – Averaging 15:20 per game in 5-on-5 ice time, which ranks seventh among Maple Leafs.
Kasperi Kapanen	– Tied for third among Maple Leafs in points (2-7-9; 8 GP) since the Christmas break.- Has scored 10 goals this season, which is tied for 10th most among NHLers with no power play goals.- Fifth among Toronto skaters in even-strength points (8-15-23).
Alex Kerfoot	– Tied for eighth among Maple Leafs in even-strength goals (6). – Ninth among Maple Leafs in even-strength points (6-9-15).- Only Toronto forward to have recorded at least 25 hits (35) and 25 blocked shots (26) this season.
Mitch Marner	– Has eight multi-assist games, which is tied for the ninth-most among NHL skaters.- Averaging 1.26 points per game, which is tied for the 10th-highest average among NHLers who have played in at least 30 games.- Averaging 1.30 primary assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is sixth among NHLers who have appeared in at least 30 games.- Tied for 13th in the NHL in primary assists (19). His 19 primary assists are tied for the most among NHLers who have appeared in fewer than 40 games.- Tied for 14th among NHL forwards in shifts per game (24.9).
Auston Matthews	– Second among NHL skaters in goals (31).- First NHLer to score 20 even-strength goals this season. Currently leads the League with 23 even-strength goals.- Leads the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (20).- Leads the NHL in multi-goal games (8).- Tied for 10th among NHL skaters in even-strength points (23-15-38).- Fifth in the NHL with 175 shots on goal.
William Nylander	– Averages 1.17 goals per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks second among Toronto skaters and is tied for 22nd among NHL skaters who have appeared in 40 games.- One of 17 NHLers to average at least 14:00 minutes per game at 5-on-5 (14:31) while maintaining a goal per 60-minute rate of at least 1.10 (1.17).- Had a goal and two assists against the Devils on December 27.
Jason Spezza	– Has recorded seven points (3-4-7) in 11 games against Metropolitan Division opposition.- Averaging 2.24 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which is the fifth-highest average among Toronto skaters who have appeared in at least 20 games.- Averaging 1.31 assists per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5 this season, which ranks third among Maple Leafs who have appeared in at least 20 games.
John Tavares	– Tied for 19th among NHL skaters in multi-point games (12).- Tied for 32nd among NHLers in even-strength goals (14). His 14 even-strength goals are tied for the most among NHLers who have appeared in fewer than 40 games.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 54.8 percent, which is 20th among NHL centres who have appeared in 30 games.- Averaging 17.75 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which is the fourth-highest average among NHL centres who have appeared in 30 games.- Averaging 9.46 shots on goal at 5-on-5 per 60 minutes of ice time, which is ninth among NHL centres who have appeared in 30 games.

CURRENT POINT STREAKS

Kasperi Kapanen	Has assists (6) and points (1-6-7) in five consecutive games.
Mitch Marner	Has points (3-6-9) in seven consecutive games.
Morgan Rielly	Has assists (2) in two consecutive games.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

Alex Kerfoot	Two games from 200 NHL games
Jason Spezza	One game from 1,100 NHL games

RECENT MILESTONES

Mason Marchment

First NHL point (January 6 vs. EDM)

INJURY REPORT

Ilya Mikheyev (Wrist Laceration)	On injured reserve.
Trevor Moore (Concussion)	On injured reserve.
Jake Muzzin (Foot)	On injured reserve.
Morgan Rielly (Foot)	On injured reserve.
	Man Games Lost: 107

Rielly injury leaves Leafs defence corps in world of hurt

From Toronto Sun



RECENT TRANSACTIONS

January

14 Recalled defenceman Timothy Liljegren from the Toronto Marlies.


January 13	Recalled defenceman Rasmus Sandin from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). Placed defenceman Morgan Rielly on injured reserve.
January 12	Activated forward Andreas Johnsson from injured reserve. Placed defenceman Jake Muzzin on injured reserve.
January 10	Signed defenceman Martin Marincin to a one-year contract extension.

Who will be the Devils’ next general manager? 5 candidates for the job | Tom Fitzgerald, Martin Brodeur, more: From N.J. Advance Media:

https://www.nj.com/devils/2020/01/who-will-be-the-devils-next-general-manager-5-candidates-for-the-job-tom-fitzgerald-martin-brodeur-more.html

DEVILS NOTES

LAST GAME vs. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
The Devils defeated the Lightning, 3-1, in the second of three contests of the 2019-20 regular season series. New Jersey improves to
(1-0-1; 3 pts) against Tampa Bay this season. New Jersey will face-off against Tampa for the third and final time, March 15 at Amalie
Arena.
Tonight concludes the clubs 11th of 16 sets of back-to-back action. The Devils improve their 5-6-1 record in second games. The victory
marks the first time the Devils have won both games in back-to-back play this season (last: 11/15 vs PIT, 11/16 @ MTL).
New Jersey improves to 6-6-2 (3-3-2 home) against Atlantic Division opponents this season. The Lightning outshot the Devils, 27-20.
The 20 shots on goal ties a season low for the Devils in one game. New Jersey was 23-37 (62%) in face-offs tonight. The Devils are 4-
3-1 at Prudential Center and 5-8-1 overall against the Lightning since the 2015-16 season.
Andy Greene notched the Devils first goal of the game, 3:10 into the second period assisted by Miles Wood and Jack Hughes. The
tuck gives Greene his first of the season, and is now two goals away from his 50th of his NHL/NJD career.
Travis Zajac tallied the game winner for the Devils 9:52 into the second frame, assisted by Nikita Gusev and Damon Severson. Zajac
is now two goals shy from tying Zach Parise for fourth place on the Devils all-time goals list. Gusev extends his point streak to three
games (1/9-12; 1G-2A).
Wood notched the empty net goal, 19:59 into the third frame, the latest recorded goal in a period this season for New Jersey. Wayne
Simmonds and Greene assisted Wood’s tuck. Wood extends his goal streak to two games, Greene notches his second multi-point
game this season (1G-1A) and Simmonds extends his assist streak to two games.
Louis Domingue got the start for his seventh of the season (second consecutive). Domingue stopped 26 of 27 shots faced, and
improves to 3-4-0 this season (2-1-0 vs. Atlantic).
TONIGHT’S GAME @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Tonight’s contest marks the second of three contests between New Jersey and Toronto in the 2019-20 regular season series. The
Leafs defeated the Devils in the first matchup at Prudential Center, Dec. 27, 5-4, in overtime.
The club opens up a three game road trip before the All-Star break. After Toronto, the Devils will travel to Washington and end in
Columbus on Saturday.
New Jersey is 2-4 on the penalty kill, and 1-3 on the power play through one contest. The Maple Leafs are outshooting the Devils, 37-

New Jersey is 24-46 (52%) in the face-off circle through one game played.
Nico Hischier (1G-2A), Kyle Palmieri (1G-2A) and Jesper Bratt (1G-2A) lead New Jersey in scoring against Toronto, tallying three
points each in the late December matchup.
Mackenzie Blackwood fell in overtime in the first matchup. Blackwood stopped 32 out of 37 shots against. Louis Domingue is a
career 1-0-0 against Tampa Bay, allowing two goals on 39 shots against (.949 SV%). Cory Schneider is 7-1-4, posting a 2.05 GAA in
his career against the Leafs.
William Nylander (1G-2A) and John Tavares (1G-2A) lead Toronto in scoring against the Devils. Nylander notched the game winner for
the Maple Leafs in the contest. Michael Hutchinson earned the victory allowing four goals in 62:30 minutes of action. Frederik Anderson
is a career 6-2-0 against the Devils allowing 15 goals posting a 1.87 GAA.
The Devils are 1-2-3 at Scotiabank Arena and 4-5-4 overall against the Maple Leafs since the 2015-16 season. New Jersey will face-off
against Toronto for the third and final time this season, March 17 at Scotiabank Arena.
INJURIES
Ben Street (I.R.) – 2 games missed; Upper-body injury sustained Jan. 9
Mackenzie Blackwood (Day-to-day) – 2 games missed; Upper-body sustained Jan. 9
Kyle Palmieri (Day-to-day) – 1 game missed; Lower-body sustained Jan. 11
Total Man-Games Lost to Injury: 84
PRIDE NIGHT
The New Jersey Devils will host their Fourth Annual Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 4 vs. the Colorado Avalanche (7:00 p.m. game. In
honor of the NHL’s “Hockey is For Everyone” initiative, the Devils will hold a pregame Panel featuring gold medalist and U.S Women’s
Ice Hockey Team Captain Meghan Duggan and LGBTQ athletes and coaches. Proceeds from the sales of player-used sticks wrapped
with pride tape, pride-themed hats, shirts and more will benefit You Can Play and Garden State Equality. This year’s game is being held
in collaboration with Newark Gay Pride, a volunteer organization that engages in advocacy, education, programming and recreational
events in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Newark.
Pre-Game Pride Night Panel:
The Annual Pride Night Pregame Panel, in partnership with OutSports, featured Centenary University wrestler Alec Donovan, former
student-athlete Arman Bashiri and Greenburgh North Castle UFSD Athletic Director and Basketball Coach Anthony Nicodemo and U.S.
Women’s Olympic Team Captain and Gold Medalist Meghan Duggan as moderator. The diverse panel of athletes shared their insights
on the challenges facing the LGBTQ community, recent successes and milestones, and ambitions for the future.
Pride Tape Stick and Drum Auction:
Devils players warm-up sticks and Mascot “N.J. Devil’s” drum, wrapped in Pride Tape, will be will be autographed and auctioned off
following the game at NewJerseyDevils.com/Auction. The online auction is live through Jan. 18, 2020 with proceeds benefitting You
Can Play and Garden State Equality.
Game Presentation Honors for LGBTQ Community Leaders:
In celebration of local LGBTQ community and industry leaders, the National Anthem will be sung by long-time Devils National
Anthemguest singer Max DeFrancesco, a member of the LGBTQ community; Newark Gay Pride will act as Honor Guard; and
Backward Flag Brewery owner Torie Fisher will be honored as Hero of the Game.

Devils Pride
On Monday, March 23, the New Jersey Devils will host Hockey is for Everyone: Gender Equality Night. The night will include an allwomen pregame panel and networking event titled, Women in the Business of Hockey. The panel will feature influential women who
hold various roles on the business side of hockey. Proceeds from 50/50 sales will benefit Devils Care Foundation with funds earmarked
for Girls Youth Hockey Initiatives.

MILESTONES

*Jesper Boqvist – 1st
NHL goal (Nov. 26 vs. MIN)
*Will Butcher – 200th NHL GP (Jan. 11 @ WSH)

*Blake Coleman – 200 GP NJD/NHL (Nov. 19 vs. BOS)

*Andy Greene – Passed Scott Niedermayer for 7 th place all time in Devils/franchise GP (893)(Dec. 3 vs. VGK) -900 th NJD/NHL GP (Dec. 20 vs. WSH) -2 G to 50 NJD/NHL -5 A to 200 NJD/NHL

*Nikita Gusev – 1 st NHL goal (Oct. 4 vs. WPG)

*John Hayden – 1 st Devils point (1A; Nov. 23 vs. DET) -1 st Devil goal (Dec. 23 @ CHI)

*Nico Hischier – 100 th NHL/Devils career points (Oct. 5 @ BUF; 1A)

*Jack Hughes – 1 st NHL point (Oct. 17 vs. NYR; 1A) -1 st NHL goal (Oct. 19 vs. VAN)

*Kyle Palmieri – 500 th NHL GP (Oct. 10 vs. EDM) -100 th Devils assist (Nov. 1 vs. PHI) -300 th NHL point (Oct. 30 vs. TB; 3G) -50 th PPG (Oct. 30 vs. TB) -150 th NHL assists (Nov. 28 @ MTL)

*Damon Severson – 400 th NHL/NJD GP *Ben Street – 1 st NJD point (1A; Jan. 7 vs. NYI) *P.K. Subban – 100 th NHL goal (Nov. 2 @ CAR)

*Sami Vatanen – 100 th Devils GP (Jan. 15 @ CBJ) -400 th NHL GP (Nov. 4 @ WPG)

*Miles Wood – 200 th NHL/NJD GP (Oct. 4 vs. WPG)

*Travis Zajac – Passed John MacLean for fifth place in GP in NJD franchise history with 935 (Nov. 5 @ WPG) -Tied Kirk Muller for third place on the Devils all-time points list (520) (Jan. 2 @ NYI; 1A) -Passed Muller for third place on the Devils-all-time points list (522)(Jan. 9 @ NYR; 2A) -2 G to tie Zach Parise four fourth place on the Devils all-time goals list

RECENT HAPPENINGS

Dec. 14: Placed Louis Domingue on I.R.

-Recalled Evan Cormier from Binghamton (AHL) Dec. 16: Traded Taylor Hall and Blake Speers to Arizona in exchange for Arizona’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (top-three protected), Arizona’s third-round selection (conditional) in 2021, defenseman Kevin Bahl and forwards Nick Merkley and Nate Schnarr Dec. 17: Assigned Evan Cormier to Binghamton (AHL)
-Recalled Gilles Senn from Binghamton (AHL) Dec. 18: Activated Connor Carrick off of I.R. Dec. 24: Assigned Michael McLeod to Binghamton (AHL) Dec. 28: Activated Louis Domingue off of I.R. and assigned to Binghamton (AHL) Dec. 30: Signed prospect Nikita Okhotyuk to a three-year entry level contract. Jan. 1: Assigned Gilles Senn to Binghamton (AHL)

-Recalled Louis Domingue from Binghamton (AHL) Jan. 4: Recalled Ben Street from Binghamton (AHL) Jan. 5: Activated Matt Tennyson off of I.R. and placed on waivers Jan. 6: Matt Tennyson cleared waivers, assigned to Binghamton (AHL) Jan. 11: Recalled Evan Cormier from Binghamton (AHL) Jan. 12: Placed Ben Street on I.R. -Assigned Evan Cormier to Binghamton (AHL) –Recalled Cory Schneider from Binghamton (AHL)

Auston adding ‘D’ to the delight of his coach — Toronto Sun

LEAFS WARMING UP ALREADY Read More
Auston adding ‘D’ to the delight of his coach — Toronto Sun

MAPLE LEAFS 4, RED WINGS 1 POSTGAME NOTES: Hutchinson stops 29 shots to earn the win. Hyman and Matthews each has two goals and an assist.

DETROIT RED WINGS (9-25-3 – 21 Points) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (19-14-4 – 42 Points)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019

	1	2	3	OT	FINAL
DETROIT	0	0	1	–	1
TORONTO	0	1	3	–	4

GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY

ON THE SCORESHEET

Zach Hyman opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 17:10 of the second period and later scored the Maple Leafs’ third goal of the night at 8:51 of the third period before adding a secondary assist on Auston Matthews’ second third period goal. Tonight’s game is his second multi-goal and second multi-point performance of the season. Hyman has four points (2-2-4) over his last four games. He has three goals and an assist in five games on home ice this season. Hyman has scored six goals in nine games during the month of December. Tonight’s game ties Hyman’s single-game career-high for points with three (Previous: March 25, 2019 vs. FLA).
Auston Matthews scored Toronto’s second goal of the game on the power play at 2:18 of the third period and later had the lone assist on Hyman’s third period goal before adding Toronto’s fourth goal of the game at 13:39 of the third period. Matthews has points (4-3-7) in three consecutive games. Tonight’s game is Matthews’ sixth multi-goal and 13th multi-point game of the season. His six mutli-goal performances are tied for the most in the NHL this season. He has 19 points (12 goals, 7 assists) in 14 career games against Detroit, which is his highest point total against a single opponent.
Morgan Rielly had the lone assist on Hyman’s second period goal. Rielly has three assists over his last four games. He has three assists in three games against Detroit this season. In 13 games against Atlantic Division opponents, Rielly has recorded 10 points (2-8-10). With his assist in the second period, Rielly tied Phil Kessel for 23rd on the Maple Leafs’ all-time assist register with 213.
John Tavares registered the primary assist on Matthews’ first third period goal. Tavares has four points (1-3-4) in three games against the Red Wings this season. He has 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 10 games against Atlantic Division opposition.
Mitch Marner collected the secondary assist on Matthews’ first third period goal and later had the primary assist on Matthews’ second third period goal. Marner has points (4-8-12) in seven consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his sixth multi-assist and ninth multi-point game of 2019-20.
Michael Hutchinson stopped 29 shots to earn the victory.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
DETROIT	10 (10)	13 (11)	7 (4)	–	30 (25)
TORONTO	10 (8)	6 (4)	7 (5)	–	23 (17)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	TOTAL
DETROIT	15 (15)	24 (20)	13 (9)	–	52 (44)
TORONTO	25 (23)	15 (13)	11 (9)	–	51 (45)

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Record at Home	9-4-4 (17 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Detroit	293-281-93-5 (672 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Detroit at Home:	175-108-47-3 (333 Games)
Record vs. Eastern Conference	10-9-4 (23 Games)
Record vs. Metropolitan Division	7-5-1 (13 Games)
Attendance	19,080

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots	4 (Matthews)
Shot Attempts	7 (Mikheyev)
Faceoff Wins	9 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage	100% (Engvall – 1 won, 0 lost)
Hits	4 (Muzzin)
Blocked Shots	2 (Barrie)
Takeaways	3 (Dermott)
TOI	22:49 (Rielly)
Power Play TOI	2:29 (Barrie)
Shorthanded TOI	2:09 (Marner)
Shifts	26 (Rielly)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage	69.2% (Hyman – 18 for, 8 against)

RECORD WHEN…

Scoring first	12-3-1
Tied after 1	8-5-2
Lead after 2	14-1-2
Score one power play goal	8-3-2
Allow one power play goal	7-6-3
Outshooting opponent	10-4-1
Saturday	8-2-2

OF NOTE…

The Maple Leafs went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and went 1-for-2 on the power play tonight.
At 17:10 of the second period, a video review was initiated to determine whether or not a Zach Hyman shot crossed Detroit’s goal line before the net came off its moorings. Video review determined that the puck completely crossed the Detroit goal line before the net came off its moorings. Result: Goal Toronto
Frederik Gauthier and Trevor Moore were the lone Maple Leafs to not start a 5-on-5 shift in the offensive zone.
Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 23 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5 tonight. Rielly finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 47.9 percent (23 for, 25 against).
John Tavares won 71 percent (5 won, 2 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Monday, December 23, 2:00 p.m. vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Sportsnet Ontario, FAN 590)
Friday, December 27, 7:00 p.m. at New Jersey Devils (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
Saturday, December 28, 7:00 p.m. vs. New York Rangers (Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590 The FAN)
Tuesday, December 31, 6:00 p.m. at Minnesota Wild (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
Thursday, January 2, 8:00 p.m. at Winnipeg Jets (TSN4, FAN 590)

Matthews’ incredible goal highlights Maple Leafs win: 3 takeaways — ProHockeyTalk

Auston Matthews scored an incredible goal to help the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Matthews’ incredible goal highlights Maple Leafs win: 3 takeaways — ProHockeyTalk

Matthews’ pair of goals power Maple Leafs past Sabres — Toronto Sun

As they continue to iron out the kinks with Sheldon Keefe as coach, the Maple Leafs also continue to rack up the victories. It’s now eight wins in 12 games since the refreshing Keefe took over from the spent Mike Babcock, the latest a 5-3 triumph against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night at Scotiabank […]
Matthews’ pair of goals power Maple Leafs past Sabres — Toronto Sun