Wild Loss

After the ‘Next Generation Game,’ Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock is wondering who his next goaltender will be Saturday.

While Michael Hutchinson did an admirable job with 30 saves in his Toronto debut, a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday afternoon, the circumstances that required two goalies to be recalled on an emergency basis might not be settled by the next match against the Vancouver Canucks, the halfway mark of Toronto’s schedule.

In the morning, No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen was moved to injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 23, while backup Garret Sparks was given time off to go through concussion protocol after taking a shot to the mask at Wednesday’s practice. Andersen, out with a groin issue, worked out for a fourth straight day despite the IR designation.

“Everything is moving along according to the medical people,” coach Babcock said.

But as for Sparks, Babcock said his availability for duty the next couple of days is undetermined.

 

“I don’t have any expectation, I don’t know what’s going on. We were just talking about finding another goalie (the quick promotion of Hutchinson and Kasimir Kaskisuo leaves the Marlies with Eamon McAdam for three AHL games in three days this weekend). We’d like Kaz to get going, we don’t like him sitting around.”

Hutchinson had just joined the Marlies after Andersen began ailing before Christmas. The Barrie-born former Winnipeg Jets regular had most recently been in Florida’s organization before the trade and still wore his Panther pads Thursday with a plain white mask. He did have his parents and many friends make it down to Scotiabank Arena to see him emulate childhood favourite Felix Potvin.

“I found out last night, so things moved pretty fast,” Hutchinson said of the start. “There were a few more nerves with not having had the chance to practice. A lot of outside obstacles you try and push aside and go through your routine. It was a fun game. You wanted the two points, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s exciting to get the first game and it kind of makes you hungry for more.”

Hutchinson was at his best in the first period, with 18 saves and a 2-0 lead to work with before an 0-for-4 Toronto power play, some slow breakouts and 38 stops from Devan Dubnyk slowly did in his team.

“I thought he gave us a chance and that’s all you can ask for from a guy,” Babcock said of Hutchinson.

A bright spot for the Leafs was William Nylander’s first goal in 12 games since signing his big contract.

When he swept around the net and put one under the bar, it was his first celly since April 5 in New Jersey. He practically leapt into the arms of the assisting Travis Dermott and pretended to peel a huge monkey off his back.

“For sure, there have been chances,” said Nylander, who had been put back with his most compatible centre, Auston Matthews, in recent days. “It’s at least nice you’re able to get chances when you’re not playing at 100 per cent, because when you’re at 100 you’ll be good.”

As the crowd roared, Nylander said his first thought was “Oh my God, I can’t believe it. Finally.”

Babcock thought the rejuvenated Nylander was going so well he’d eventually get the winner on Thursday, while Matthews was just happy for his friend to get one.

“He can get back to feeling good and confident,” Matthews said. “Everyone has gone through that before. I have in my first year, 13 or 14 games. It felt the weight of the world was coming down on me. People were (thinking) to trade me and all that stuff. It can weigh on you as a player and a person, but once that one comes, you feel like there is an extra jump in your step.”

Thursday’s game could have turned on a better Leafs power play. They went 0-for-4 and are now 5-for-40 the past month, despite all the weaponry they boast — Matthews, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri, the club’s three prime centres, team points’ leader Mitch Marner and NHL co-leader among defence scorers, Morgan Rielly. Two duds came in the third period.

“Tons of chances,” Matthews sighed. “It felt like I had 10 shots tonight and it just was just ricocheting, going off posts, the goalie making a save and rebounds coming back out that they were able to clear. We can be better.”

Babcock credited Dubnyk with foiling many of Toronto’s man advantages.

“We stayed in their zone the whole time,” Babcock noted. “It didn’t go our way, but I liked the opportunities.

“You have to learn how to win all kinds of games. They have good faceoff guys, they’re a veteran team, they make it hard on you physically and they’re physical on offence. We had 17 D-zone

Following last year’s inaugural Next Generation Game, a loud 8-1 win over Carolina, Toronto took the opening faceoff and scored seven seconds in. Marner made a nice move around Jared Spurgeon and buried a backhand to tie Charlie Conacher’s team record for fastest goal to start a game.

Marner, with Tavares’ second assist of the night, made it 2-0, but as Hutchinson approached 20 saves, Charlie Coyle scored on a scramble. Mikko Koivu then tied it, setting the stage for Nylander. But that Leafs lead could not hold up, as Spurgeon collected his third point of the game with a deceptive flick through Hutchinson’s legs. Zach Parise, who was stopped on a partial breakaway by Hutchinson in the first, had the winner.

The Leafs’ overall success on faceoffs 43-28, with Tavares winning 19, was undone by poor puck control, resulting in 16 giveaways, twice as many as the Wild, with Matthews culpable on the Parise winner.

“We weren’t taking care of the puck enough and they were in our zone a lot,” Matthews said. “Obviously, 50-50 battles they were winning and that’s frustrating for guys such as myself.

“They had way too many shots in the first period and (Hutchinson) made key saves to keep our lead. We made some bad mistakes, but it’s things we can clean up watching the video.”

The Leafs are on the verge of falling back among the worst five teams in overall giveaways.

The kid-friendly additions to the game included two youth teams who came out for the anthems, plus some mini-zebras and younger generation coaching staffs, including a 15-year-old Babcock look-a-like who gave the Leafs a pre-game pep talk and stood with other young assistants behind the bench for the anthems … Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen was walking tall on Thursday after Finland beat Canada at the world juniors and his father’s team, Kalpa, had beaten Canada in the Spengler cup final earlier in the week … Leafs defenceman Ron Hainsey had some intermission fun with Christine Simpson of Sportsnet when asked live about the Leafs good start Thursday compared to the 4-0 loss to the Islanders. “What happened last game? That was a long time ago” … There are three former Leafs who are now NHL GMs and five now coaching. The Wild and Vancouver Canucks, Toronto’s next opponent, feature one of each, Paul Fenton and Bruce Boudreau on Thursday, Jim Benning and Travis Green on Saturday … Leafs veteran Patrick Marleau stepped on the ice and tied Larry Murphy for ninth place in NHL career games (1,615) … The AHL announced Thursday that Trevor Moore, currently on the Leafs fourth line, and defenceman Calle Rosen would represent the Marlies at the AHL all-star game in Springfield later this month. Dermott was also picked last year after being promoted to the Leafs.

Hutch is a gamer
Having gone off the NHL radar, Michael Hutchinson showed he still has something to offer. Given more practice in the next couple of days, pending Garret Sparks’ condition, he should merit another start if there’s any doubt the current back-up is less than 100 per cent.
A kid among kids
Mitch Marner’s joie de vivre for the game in his memorable first half of the season with 55 points was evident again in the warmup in front of thousands of young fans, before he scored twice in the game’s first 5:38 and came close to a hat trick.