Chad Johnson, Flames shut out Maple Leafs

CALGARY --Chad Johnson made 39 saves, and Freddie Hamilton and Kris Versteeg each scored in the first minute of the game to help the Calgary Flames defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday.
Matt Stajan also scored for the Flames (11-13-2), who opened a three-game homestand with their first win in three games.
"Our guys knew that they had to come out hard," Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan said. "It's something to build on. Now we have some footing here where we've got to start putting it together. We've done it on the road. We have to start doing it here (at home)."

Johnson has three shutouts and is 6-2-0 in his past eight starts.
WATCH: All Maple Leafs vs. Flames highlights
"I think each and every night it gives you a confidence that you're going to have a chance to win," Versteeg said. "[Johnson]'s been amazing, especially the last little while since he's come in. You really can't speak highly enough of him as a person and as a player."
Jhonas Enroth made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs (10-9-4), who lost for the first time in three games and have split the first two games of a three-game Western Canada road trip after winning 4-2 against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
"I just think we weren't ready or prepared to play," Toronto center Auston Matthews said. "Our focus wasn't there. When you're playing back-to-back, obviously you're going to be tired, but you've got to push through that and you've got to be smart out there, and we weren't smart."
Calgary scored twice in the first minute of a game (0:49) for the first time since March 11, 1987, at the Hartford Whalers.

Hamilton scored 19 seconds in on the first shot of the game to give Calgary a 1-0 lead. It was his first goal in 17 games dating to March 18. Versteeg scored off a rebound of Sean Monahan's shot 30 seconds later to make it 2-0.
Stajan scored with 4:11 remaining in the first for a 3-0 lead.
Johnson made 13 saves in the second period, including consecutive stops with Versteeg in the penalty box on Mitchell Marner's initial shot, Tyler Bozak's rebound try and Nikita Soshnikov's follow-up attempt with 1:02 remaining in the period.
Johnson made 14 saves in the third period to preserve his third shutout, tied for second in the NHL.
"Their goalie's been hot lately," Matthews said. "He made a lot of really good saves, stood on his head. I thought the second and third period, we definitely played much better in terms of creating opportunities and taking control of the play more. We've got to get that for a full 60 minutes."

Goal of the game

Stajan deflected a pass from Michael Frolik over Enroth's glove to complete a three-way passing play started at the blue line by Alex Chiasson. "I'm just driving and trying to get my stick on a redirect," Stajan said. "It was a perfect pass. Nice when you see that puck coming through when you have full speed going at the net. It's nice when you execute on a controlled breakout like that."

Save of the game

Johnson made a glove save on William Nylander's wrist shot from the hash marks after a cross-ice setup by Matthews 2:12 into the second period to keep Calgary up 3-0.

Unsung moment of the game

Flames defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka dove to knock the puck off Marner's stick with 3:46 remaining in the second period after a turnover at Calgary's blue line sprung James van Riemsdyk and Marner on a 2-on-0.

Highlight of the game

Johnson made a glove save on Marner on a breakaway at 7:32 of the third period to preserve the shutout. "He's really calm," Hamilton said. "That's his type of game. He's doing it really well lately. He's playing phenomenal."

They said it

"That's a huge part of this league I think. There's no doubt about it. You look at all the teams with top-tier goalies, they're all playing with confidence because, you try to make a play, sometimes it doesn't happen, but your goalie is there to back you up. It's obviously important, and it always has been in this league." -- Flames center Matt Stajan on goalie Chad Johnson's recent play
"Having a back-to-back, especially having won the first one, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves and ready. I don't know what it was, but we obviously weren't ready to play tonight, and it obviously cost us early." -- Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner

Need to know

Johnson has started eight of the past 10 games for the Flames. … Matthews' three-game goal streak and Nazem Kadri's four-game point streak each ended in the shutout loss. … Enroth started after Frederik Andersen made 28 saves against Edmonton on Tuesday.

What's next

Maple Leafs:At the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, NHL.TV)
Flames: Host the Minnesota Wild on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-WI, FS-N+, NHL.TV)