Leafs hold off Flames 3-2 hours after death of George Armstrong

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The Maple Leafs won one for George Armstrong on Sunday, holding off the Flames 3-2 only hours after Toronto’s long-time captain died at age 90.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe shared a video about Armstrong’s accomplishment with the team before the game at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Armstrong played for the Maple Leafs for his entire 21-year NHL career and was captain in the 1960s, when they won four Stanley Cups.

“Leafs Nation is as strong as it is because of people like George,” Keefe said after the victory. “We feel the efforts he put forward in that era every day, and are grateful for that. We are so caught up in the day, today, every day, and I think it is good to stop to take a look at the bigger picture.

“We are celebrating his legacy.”

Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, and his number was retired by the organization at its home opener in 2016. He played in a franchise-record 1,188 regular-season games and concluded his career with 296 goals and 471 assists.

After he retired in 1971, he went on to serve as the assistant general manager, interim head coach and as a scout for the team. A right winger, he added another 26 goals and 34 assists in 110 playoff games.

“George was an incredible ambassador for Toronto, and he paved the way for guys like us,” Auston Matthews said during a postgame video interview. Before a question could be asked, he broke in and offered condolences to the Armstrong family.

Matthews was credited with the winning goal, a puck that deflected off him with 17:18 left in the third period. His third goal of the season put the Maple Leafs ahead 3-1. Jake Muzzin scored in the first and Wayne Simmonds in the second for Toronto, which improved to 5-2.

Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm scored for the Flames, who were playing their first game in six days. It was the first of nine meetings this season between the teams in the all-Canadian North Division. The Flames are 2-1-1 and get a chance to even things up when they meet again on Tuesday night.

Jack Campbell stopped 31 of 33 shots to earn his second victory in 2021 while standing in for starting goalie Frederik Andersen. Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves for Calgary.

Campbell seemed to be struggling with an injury at the end of the game. He seemed to have difficulty getting up from a prone position but finished the game anyway.

“He was huge for us tonight,” Keefe said. “You don’t get through ugly games like this with a win if your goalie is not your best player.”

Campbell is now 5-2-1 as a backup since Toronto acquired him in February, 2020, in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings. He did not speak about what caused him obvious pain and said he never considered retiring to the bench.

“I was just focused on trying to get out of this place with two points,” he said. “It is huge to come out of this environment [with a victory.]”

The game marked the first return to Calgary for Toronto defenceman T.J. Brodie, who played 633 games for the Flames over 11 seasons. He was given a video tribute during a break in play in the first. Players on each team tapped their sticks against the ice in his honour.

“It will be a hard one to forget,” Brodie said. He signed with Toronto in the offseason as a free agent. “It is something I will tell the kids and grandkids about when I retire. With no fans in the stands, I didn’t know whether to wave or what to do.”

The goal was the first as a Maple Leaf for Simmonds, who grew up in Toronto and also signed with the team over the summer. It is the 13th season in the league for the 32-year-old forward, and was the 500th point of his career.

“It was nice to get [the goal] out of the way, but I am happier that we got the two points.”

Simmonds scored as he tried to send a backhand pass in front of the net and it bounced off one of his skates and past Markstrom.

“It is kind of my game,” Simmonds said. “I get in front of the net, get loose pucks and present myself as an option for the guys.”

The game was the seventh in 12 days for Toronto. The team flew-cross country on Saturday. The busy schedule has made it difficult to practise, and Keefe expected an uneven performance.

“We felt this one would not be pretty for us,” Keefe said.

The Maple Leafs went ahead 1-0 with 12:14 left in the first period when a shot from the point by Muzzin evaded Markstrom. Mitch Marner drew the principal assist for the 300th point of his career. With 300 points in his first 307 games, Marner became the third-fastest Maple Leaf to reach the milestone behind Syl Apps and Charlie Conacher.

He also had an assist on Simmonds’s goal and now has four goals and six assists through seven games. Morgan Rielly registered assists on all three goals.

Each team misfired on a power play early in the second period before Calgary got a second chance when Simmonds was called for boarding Andrew Mangiapane. Monahan cashed in the opportunity and the game was tied 1-1 with 7:07 left.

Toronto failed on another power play but got another man-advantage in the waning seconds before the second intermission. Simmonds gave the Maple Leafs the lead with the 100th power-play goal of his career.

Each team went 1-for-4 with a man advantage.

Before the game, a moment of silence was held for Armstrong.

“It was tough news for our organization, for our fans, and for people who love the game,” Keefe said. “This was for him.”