Mrazek has woken up since clearing waivers
Petr Mrazek was placed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs last Sunday. Anyone could have had the Czech netminder for free at the trade deadline, all they would have had to do is take on his 3.8 million dollar cap hit. 31 general managers had the chance to grab the struggling Leafs netminder and 31 general managers said no thanks.
Mrazek, to that point, had not had a good season. He was injured in his first start for the Leafs, missing two weeks before getting injured again his first game back. Two months later, Mrazek finally returned to the Leafs crease. The timing couldn't have been better. Cracks were starting to show in Jack Campbell's game and the Leafs needed a stabilizing influence in the net. Mrazek struggled with inconsistent play, although he was relatively successful in January, posting a .920sv% in four appearances.
February however, was an unmitigated disaster, and March didn't start off any better. His last start before clearing waivers was an embarassing 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at the Hertiage Classic. Leafs fans and management seemed to be in agreement that Mrazek had worn out his welcome in Toronto.
Fast forward to Wednesday night, the Leafs took the ice in their drop dead gorgeous Next Gen gear, Mrazek included, donning a sleek black and blue Vaughn setup with a custom mask to match. The New Jersey Devils were coming off a win over the Rangers in which they had put 7 goals past the duo of Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev. Leafs fans were apprehensive about Keefe's decision to start Mrazek to say the least. Keefe explained that he had sat down with Mrazek and told him the slate had been wiped clean, the run to the playoffs would be, in Keefe's eyes, a different season for Mrazek.
Against the Devils, Mrazek played well, allowing 2 goals on 22 shots for a tidy .909sv%. Not bad for a guy who had just cleared waivers. Mrazek's performance earned him the start against the division leading Panthers Sunday night. Mrazek was spectacular against the Panther's league leading offense, making 29 saves on 31 shots for a fantastic .935sv%. He was solid, steady, and thankfully, stayed in his net. By the end of the game, fans in the building were not only chanting Mrazek's name, they were giving the Leafs goaltender a standing ovation.
Now the question on everyone's mind is, how long will Mrazek's stellar play last? Is this a goalie finding his groove again or is this just a flash in the pan? For now, I think we have to simply wait and see, but if Mrazek's last 2 games are any indication, his trip to the waiver wire, and the fact nobody claimed him, were enough of a wake up call to get his game back on track. The Leafs are having no trouble outchancing opponents this season, and their defence has been bolstered by the additions of Ilya Lyubushkin and Mark Giordano. Goaltending remains the big question. If Mrazek keeps it up, they may yet have a chance to take the division title, and possibly avoid playing Tampa Bay or Florida in the first round of the playoffs.
| POLL | ||
MARS 28 | 386 ANSWERS Mrazek has woken up since clearing waivers Who will start game 1 of the playoffs for the Leafs? | ||
| Petr Mrazek | 59 | 15.3 % |
| Jack Campbell | 296 | 76.7 % |
| Erik Kallgren | 31 | 8 % |
| List of polls | ||
