Leafs announce Tuesday's starting goalie ahead of matchup against the Stars
Goalies. It's all anyone talks about in Leafs Nation these days. After two horrific outings in a row, Petr Mrazek has been benched in favour of 25-year-old rookie Erik Källgren.
This will mark Källgren's first start in the NHL. He was excellent in relief of the aforementioned Mrazek last week against the Coyotes, backstopping the Leafs to an epic comeback that fell just short in OT thanks to some questionable officiating.
Källgren isn't as green as some may think. the 25-year-old has been playing pro hockey since the 2019-20 season between the Swedish Hockey League and the AHL. So far this season, he's been the Marlies' most consistent goaltender. His calm demeanor in the Leafs' net in his first NHL appearance was a welcome change from the erratic play of Mrazek. That calmness is something the Leafs desperately need.
The Leafs play better when they aren't constantly checking over their shoulders to make sure their goaltender is, in fact, tending the goal. A spectacular save or two would be nice to see, but for the most part, all that will be asked of Källgren is to play somewhere near league average. The Leafs have fought through sub-.900 goaltending every month but one this season. When they have had good, even average goaltending, they've been very hard to beat. With Matthews out of the lineup, they won't be able to rely on his absurd scoring prowess, so they'll need a little more help from their back end.
Puck drop will be at 7PM tonight against the Dallas Stars. Here's hoping Källgren brings the same steady game he brought against the Coyotes.
| POLL | ||
MARS 15 | 203 ANSWERS Leafs announce Tuesday's starting goalie ahead of matchup against the Stars Will Kallgren win his first NHL start? | ||
| Yes | 153 | 75.4 % |
| No | 12 | 5.9 % |
| Just please don't allow 4+ goals... | 38 | 18.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
