When the schedule first came out, you couldn’t blame the Maple Leafs for thinking someone at NHL headquarters was up to mischief.
Buried in the busy post-4 Nations Face-Off slate Saturday is a visit by the Hurricanes, exactly five years to the day that Zamboni driver David Ayres was tossed into the Carolina crease and against all odds, won the game, 6-3.
“I didn’t realize it myself,” Ayres told the Toronto Sun on Friday. “I was in Carolina to watch a game a few weeks ago and a friend reminded me they were playing up there on the very anniversary. I’d love to be there, but can’t get out of work (he’s now a Canadian National freight train conductor who’s frequently out of town) and say it’s to watch a hockey game.”
At 42, the Whitby-born emergency backup goalie (EBUG) became the oldest NHL netminder to win his debut, after James Reimer and Petr Mrazek were both hurt. He was called out of the stands and finished the game with eight saves.
The Leafs have yet to hear the end of ribbing, with then-captain John Tavares having to face the music afterwards.
“It was a difficult one to swallow,” Tavares recalled Friday. “Such a weird game the way everything went down. I can’t remember people being too positive about us after that game.”
A mock Leaf account on X that keeps track of the days since their last Stanley Cup in 1967, also often traces the 1,827 days since Ayres’ win.
“I do recall our next game against Tampa Bay that I liked our response,” Tavares said of that 4-3 win. “They were on a roll, and the year before (Andrei) Vasilevskiy won the Vezina. There was a lot of talk about who we’d just lost to.”
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INJURY UPDATES
In addition to missing Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner after their emotional 4 Nations final, Friday’s practice was without winger Max Pacioretty.
Injured earlier in the week when the Leafs returned from break, coach Craig Berube said the 36-year-old was improving, but needed a day off ice for “relief” from tightness as opposed to a serious injury. It’s unlikely he faces the ‘Canes.
Likewise for forward Calle Jarnkrok, who has ramped up practice in a comeback from sports hernia surgery, but won’t be ready until at least Tuesday’s game in Boston.
Both goaltenders, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz, look ready to split the back-to-back, which extends to Chicago on Sunday.
BIN THERE, DONE THAT
The non-Leaf that Berube was most happy for on Thursday night was goalie Jordan Binnington. The two won a Cup in St. Louis in 2019, Binnington staring down Matthews a couple of times in the 4 Nations final.
“I’ve seen him do that before,“ Berube praised. ”Competitive is the best word I can use. He loves the challenge. It’s difficult the way he plays sometimes, it’s a lot of effort.”
Berube commended Canadian head coach Jon Cooper for sticking with Binnington after a couple of bad goals in the round robin against the U.S.
“It was a great call. I get that people can criticize goals. That happens, a bad goal here and there. But you look at the whole body of work, he made a bunch of good saves in that whole series.”
BEING THERE
If you couldn’t be at Boston’s TD Garden on Thursday, Scotiabank Arena was hopping.
A watch party drew about 4,000 people and included a family skate. The game was on the big screen and fans could follow along via NHL tracking data, the facial icons of each player from face-offs and the location of the puck.
“There were high fives with strangers all around when McDavid scored,” said fan Chris Short, who attended with his brother and toddler nephew. “It felt like seeing a live playoff series winner.”
X: @sunhornby