Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom's numbers against the Maple Leafs are almost unbelievable
There are a number of excuses that the Leafs could use as a reason why they couldn't pick up the 2 points in Chicago on Friday afternoon. Between all of the travel to and from Sweden and then the travel to Chicago for their first game back after the Global Series, followed by a nearly week-long layoff, anyone could understand why the Leafs just didn't have it in Chicago.
Perhaps the most popular excuse we hear when the Leafs come up short against an inferior team is "they got goalie'd", which is sometimes the case, for sure. Other times, that's not the case. There are games where the Leafs fire 35-of-40 shots straight at the opposing goalie's chest protector, making a pedestrian goalie look like a star. Friday's game, however, was not one of them.
The Leafs had a high volume of high-danger chances, including probably 4 or 5 looks in tight in the first 5 minutes of the game. However, Arvid Soderblom stood tall for the Blackhawks, stopping 34 of 37 shots en route to a 4-3 OT win at home.
Soderblom's body of work this season has left a lot to be desired for the Hawks. However, his play against the Toronto Maple Leafs has been something to behold. Over his career, Soderblom is 2-18-2, with a forgettable 3.87 GAA and a horrendous .881 SV%. However, in his first two career starts against the Leafs, both occurring this season, Soderblom is 2-0, with a sparkling 1.93 GAA, a sensational .932 SV% and a 5.88 goals saved above expected. His only two wins of the season so far have come against the Leafs.
Look, I'm not here to make excuses for the Leafs, but they had a realistic chance of scoring 6 or 7 goals yesterday afternoon in Chicago. they really did. Hats off to Soderblom. He played a hell of a game. He's the reason why the Blackhawks came away from that one with the two points.
There are some games that, even when you're playing well, the goalie can make all the difference. The Leafs were on the right side of that a few times this season - most notably in their pair of games against Tampa Bay, where Joseph Woll shut the door after coming in in relief of Ilya Samsonov after the Bolts shelled him with 3 goals on 4 shots the firs time around and 4 goals on 12 shots in the second meeting. Unfortunately, yesterday in Chicago, they were on the wrong side of an Arvid Soderblom goaltending clinic and a few unlucky bounces. Onto the next one.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 25 | 215 ANSWERS Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom's numbers against the Maple Leafs are almost unbelievable Is Arvid Soderblom the only reason why the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Leafs on Friday? | ||
| Yes, he was sensational for the Hawks | 82 | 38.1 % |
| No, too many unlucky bounces for the Leafs | 35 | 16.3 % |
| I'm sure it was a combination of a few things | 98 | 45.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
