Keefe confirms starting goalie for tomorrow in San Jose
As the Toronto Maple Leafs start their venture on the California road trip tomorrow night, head coach Sheldon Keefe has just announced the team's starting goaltender. Backup goaltender Erik Kallgren, who was called up just over ten days ago, will kick things off tomorrow night against the San Jose Sharks, likely to give Ilya Samsonov a bit of a breather.
Kallgren, the second-year call-up for the Maple Leafs, has played fifteen games for the team, spending the longevity of his time in Toronto with the AHL Marlies. He has an 8-5-1 record with a 0.886 SV% thus far in his NHL career.
His only start with the Leafs this season resulted in a 4-2 loss against one of the league's lower-caliber teams, the Arizona Coyotes. Kallgren gave up three goals on only eighteen shots, posting a 0.833 SV%. This game was certainly not his best outing, and he ultimately needs to be better on Thursday's second chance.
Against a San Jose Sharks team who currently sits 6th in the Pacific division with a 2-7-0 record, this is a chance for Kallgren to bounce back and rejuvenate not only the confidence within himself but hopefully, ignite a fire within his team.
Keefe looks to be resting current starting goaltender, Ilya Samsonov, as the Leafs face an upcoming back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, followed by the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.
With this upcoming schedule in mind, Leaf fans consider how the Leafs plan to utilize the two goaltenders amid the back-to-back. If I had to guess, it's likely now that Kallgren will play two of the next three games on the road trip. Keefe's selection of Kallgren for Thursday night provides a much-needed break to the goaltender, who has been holding it down for the Maple Leafs for five of the last seven games.
It's important to note that Samsonov cannot play every game and that Kallgren continues to get reps in. Furthermore, the Leafs are in need of consecutive wins. If the buds can build momentum off of Kallgren, put together a string of wins, and not solely rely on Samsonov, this could help the team get off their feet.
The Leafs cannot continue to revert to their old habits of playing down to weaker opponents and losing games to below-average teams. Kallgren looks to provide the stability he offered for the Leafs last season when he was called up in hopes of sparking a flame in this currently slumped Leafs roster.
Credit: hockeydb.com - Erik Kallgren, hockeydb.com - Ilya Samsonov
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 26 | 280 ANSWERS Keefe confirms starting goalie for tomorrow in San Jose Will Kallgren get 2 of the next 3 starts? | ||
| Yes | 132 | 47.1 % |
| No | 148 | 52.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
