Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson (30) handles a puck in front of the net during the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Scotiabank Arena.Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
It was another night of redemption for Michael Hutchinson and it seemed like old times for Jason Spezza.
Doing his best to solidify his role as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ backup goalie, Hutchinson had 24 saves on Saturday night and Spezza scored against his long-time team in a 2-1 overtime victory against the Ottawa Senators.
The win moved Toronto into third place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division standing with a significant encounter coming against Florida at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night. The Panthers scalded the Maple Leafs last month and sit two points out of the second wild-card berth in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
“We certainly didn’t like the way we played [on Jan. 12] and the result we got when we were there,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of that 8-4 loss in Sunrise, Fla. “We know we have to be a whole lot better here Monday. We’re excited for a chance to play a really important game.”
Mitch Marner scored with 1:06 remaining to prevent a shootout in the Maple Leafs’ third successive win since the all-star break. Auston Matthews had an assist on the winning goal and went 10-4 in faceoffs.
Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson was stellar in defeat, turning back all but two of 36 shots.
The victory was Hutchinson’s fourth in a row after beginning the season 0-5-1 as a rare replacement for starter Frederik Andersen.
The string of poor performances caused concern early on, but he has since begun to earn back the organization’s trust.
“We had breakdowns today and he was there even sometimes when they had a couple of looks,” Keefe said. “He was at the top of his crease, sharp, confident and aggressive.
"He just looked like he was out there to win the game for us and that’s what you want to see.”
Ottawa went ahead 1-0 on a goal by Mark Borowiecki with 13:52 remaining in the second period in a tightly played if somewhat boring game. After taking a pass from rookie Rasmus Sandin, Spezza rifled a bullet past Anderson on a power play a little more than three minutes later to tie it 1-1.
Spezza, 36, spent most his career playing for the Senators and ranks second in franchise history with 251 goals, 436 assists and 687 points. He was held out of Toronto’s previous game against Ottawa on opening night by the since-deposed Mike Babcock.
“I thought he was excellent,” Keefe said. “He probably had a little extra jump here today. It was a big-time goal that he scored. I was really happy with how he responded to the opportunity.”
Near the end of his storied career, Spezza signed a one-year, US$700,000 contract over the summer to play with his hometown team. He was a healthy scratch early on as Babcock shuffled others into the lineup.
Spezza never complained. He kept working, began to earn more playing time as injuries took a toll and has seemingly been rejuvenated with Keefe behind the bench.
“I think he turned back the clock tonight,” Hutchinson said.
Spezza laughed it off, just as he shrugged off being benched by Babcock.
“I am not trying to focus on nostalgia," he said. "We are fighting for a playoff spot and I am just trying to play good hockey.”
Hutchinson, 29, has played in the NHL in parts of seven seasons, the past two with Toronto. Even as goals flew past him, teammates didn’t fault him early in the season. Instead, they blamed themselves.
“He played great, even early on,” said John Tavares, the team captain. “We just weren’t very good in front of him. He has shown continued determination and now you can see that is beginning to find his game.”
Hutchinson said he has never worried about being replaced because it is something over which he has little control.
“It’s one of those things where I feel like I’ve been positive all year even when things weren’t going well,” he said. “I just kept working hard and now bounces are going our way a little bit. It is fun when your team is winning games and you are contributing to wins.”
Marner credited him for making a handful of big saves that contributed to beating Ottawa.
“Everyone goes through slumps and has games you don’t like in this league,” he said. “It is great to see him get his swagger back.”