Rittich notches SO, Flames top NHL-leading Maple Leafs 3-0

AP Published 10:14 p.m. ET Feb. 22, 2021

TORONTO (AP) — David Rittich made 34 saves for his first shutout of the season and fourth of his career as the Calgary Flames beat NHL-leading Toronto 3-0 on Monday night.

Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan each had a goal and an assist, and Sam Bennett added a goal for Calgary.

Rasmus Andersson added two assists for the Flames, who had lost four of five in regulation and had been outscored 14-3 in three straight losses, including a 7-1 decision to Edmonton on Saturday.

Michael Hutchinson stopped 30 shots in a surprise start for Toronto (14-4-2).

Both teams were without their No. 1 goalies. Frederik Andersen sat out for the Leafs with a lower-body injury. Jacob Markstrom, who was pulled in his last two starts, didn’t dress for the Flames because of an upper-body ailment.

ISLANDERS 3, SABRES 2

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period and Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves, leading the Islanders over last-place Buffalo.

The Islanders beat the Sabres for the third straight time this season after two victories in Buffalo last week. The Islanders also moved to 5-0-1 at Nassau Coliseum.

Matt Martin and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders. Sam Reinhart and Curtis Lazar scored for the Sabres.

The Islanders have won six straight against the Sabres. The Sabres are 2-7-2 in their last 11 games overall against the Islanders.

PANTHERS 3, STARS 1

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle scored, Chris Driedger made 24 saves and Florida beat slumping Dallas.

Aleksander Barkov scored an empty-net goal to seal the Panthers’ sixth win in eight games.

Blake Comeau scored for Dallas, and Anton Khudobin stopped 49 of 51 shots. The Stars lost their sixth in a row and eighth of nine overall while playing their first game since Feb. 13 due to the weather conditions in Dallas.

LIGHTNING 4, HURRICANES 2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Ondrej Palat snapped a tie 8:04 into the third period, and Tampa Bay beat Carolina.

Palat, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who were shut out in each of their first two matchups with the Hurricanes this season.

Jesper Fast scored his first two goals for Carolina. James Reimer made 28 saves, including 11 in the first period. The Hurricanes had won two straight and five of six.

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