Andersen looking to stay sharp while staying with Matthews in Arizona

Frederik Andersen is ready to put on the pads again, even if there isn't any ice to skate on.

The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie is in self-quarantine at the Scottsdale, Arizona, home of teammate Auston Matthews and is looking for ways to keep sharp for what he hopes is the resumption of the NHL season, whenever that might be.

"It's definitely a challenge not to be able to go on the ice," Andersen said Thursday. "I do have my gear out here, so I think we're going to experiment a little bit. We have a little sport court at his house now, so I definitely think we're going to test that out and shoot some pucks and maybe I can work on my stickhandling as well, maybe my shot. That's something we can look at here in a bit once we get all set up with that.

"I think especially at a time like this where facilities are limited, it's about trying to be creative and coming up with something."

One idea is to face Matthews, who was second with 47 goals, one behind Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins when the NHL paused the season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

"Once we get some more pucks, I have a pretty good shooter here too," Andersen said with a laugh.

Not to mention one of his best friends.

It was Matthews who reached out to Andersen shortly after the pause and invited him to Arizona to self-isolate. For the native of Denmark, it was a deal he couldn't refuse.

"The main reason was obviously I was stuck in Toronto in my condo," Andersen said. "Denmark was kind of ahead of Canada and the U.S. in being shut down, as well. [Going there] was a little bit out of the question for me, and Auston was kind enough to offer me to come down here and spend time with him and actually have some of the contact side instead of just FaceTiming everyone the whole time, which has been great."

They each said they've been getting along well. The one thing about 22-year-old Matthews that has surprised 30-year-old Andersen is the center's penchant for dating shows like "Love Island."

"It's been fun," Andersen said. "We've been close friends since we've played together, but obviously this allowed us to spend even more time. It's been fun so far. We get pretty competitive in some of the things we do, which is fun. To have someone just to hang out with and talk to is nice."

Andersen is maintaining hope that the season will continue and said he is all in for whatever format the NHL decides to adopt.

"I'm pretty open to pretty much anything that could be done to salvage the season, finish the season and get a Stanley Cup champion," he said. "Everyone wants sports back on air. I think if there's a chance we can go back to playing, I think we owe it to ourselves to go out and play the game we're so passionate about. And I think we owe it to the fans that have been waiting too. Give them something to watch. Keep them entertained."

Andersen was one of Toronto's best players through the first 70 games, with a 29-13-7 record, 2.85 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. He admitted the Maple Leafs (36-25-9, third in the Atlantic Division) have had a roller-coaster season but was encouraged by their play prior to the pause, including two wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3 on Feb. 25, 2-1 on March 10).

"I wouldn't say turbulent, but it's been a pretty eventful season," he said. "But I liked the way we responded when our backs were against the wall, especially against some very good teams."