First NHL win means everything to Daccord

He wasn't even supposed to start. Then he went out and won his first career NHL game.

It was a whirlwind of a Sunday night for Joey Daccord that concluded with him making 33 saves to backstop the Ottawa Senators to a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs for his first win in his seventh NHL game.
He just hoped those closest to him were able to tune in on time.
"I hope my family and friends were watching because they probably didn't know I was playing!" Daccord said. "Just an incredible feeling and a special night. To do it against such a good team too like the Leafs and to do it at home Is incredible.
"It puts into perspective the journey it's taken to get here and all the people and places and the things I've done and all the work that's gone into it, it's incredible."
For Daccord, a journey it has been. Of all places, he played college hockey at Arizona State where he led the Sun Devils to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in his final season and followed it up by making his first career NHL start at the end of the 2018-19 campaign. In his first pro season last year, he played 12 games in the ECHL with the Brampton Beast and then in the AHL with Belleville went 15-6-2 with a .915 save percentage.
He was the first ASU graduate to play in the NHL and AHL and now sits as the only grad to win games in both leagues. Not bad for a guy who only had one scholarship offer.
"What an incredible feeling," Daccord said. "The effort the guys gave tonight was outstanding. It's just a really special moment."

Daccord said that Matt Murray, who had led the Sens onto the ice for warmups, approached him moments before the team hit the ice and told him he may not be able to go. A few minutes into warmup, Murray left the ice and one of the Sens' trainers pointed at Daccord, giving him the word he'd be getting the start.
"I was like 'alright, let's do it,'" he said. "I tried to get myself going as fast as I can, tried to get into the game and started buzzing around in warmups.
"I just had a feeling we were going to win pretty early once I found out I was playing. It's not how you draw it up but you wouldn't change it for the world."
In what would have been another wild twist to an already crazy evening, Daccord was run over less than 20 seconds into the game as Mike Reilly and Willian Nylander clattered into him. He popped right back up.
"I came into the room after the first period, I looked at Mando (backup goaltender Kevin Mandolese) and said, 'how nervous were you when on the first shift I got smoked into the net?'
"He was like 'no no, I knew you were fine.' That would have been crazy if that had happened. I stood up and looked at the ref and said, 'no better way to get into it.'"
Ottawa led 4-1 down the stretch, and despite having a disallowed goal midway through the third, Toronto clawed it back to a one-goal game with 2:12 to play.
"They made it difficult," Daccord said. "They made it hard but I always knew my first NHL win would be an absolute battle. I knew they were going to give a push. I was preparing myself that I knew it was going to be a challenge, I knew it was going to be hard and I knew I was going to have to make big saves for us to win and we got it done."
And for those wondering, you bet Daccord was having thoughts about that Toronto empty-net after Frederik Andersen had been pulled.
"Half a second is completely way less than the amount of time I gave it," Daccord said. "Give me the puck, I'm shooting this thing. But your primary focus always falls back on winning the game.
"It's a goalie's dream to score. If the opportunity presents itself and it's a perfect situation, I'm not afraid to try it."