Petr Mrazek finding his form at the right time for the Leafs
Czech goaltender Petr Mrazek's tenure in Toronto got off to a rough start and while he would be the first to tell you that he expects better of himself, a pair of groin injuries early on in the season definitely hindered him and led to a slower start than he would have liked.
Mrazek, who signed in Toronto for 3 years at $3.8M per season last summer, was brought in to augment Jack Campbell and to run alongside the fan favourite as a 1A/1B tandem. Unfortunately, his body did not cooperate and it let to the 29-year-old going from two weeks between starts to a month between starts.
Campbell had to be a workhorse in Mrazek's absence, and he performed at the top of his game for a lengthy stretch before eventually coming down to earth when fatigue began to set in. Thankfully, Mrazek was able to step in and show the coaching staff and the rest of Leafs Nation that he was capable of coming in and shouldering a larger load at the right time for the Buds to provide Soupy with some extra rest.
Since January 22nd, Mrazek has played 4 of the Leafs 6 games, going 4-0-0 over that span, posting save percentages of .950 and above for two of those outings. Simply put, Mrazek appears to have found his groove and not a moment too soon, as the Leafs find themselves in a tight race with Atlantic Division rivals in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. If the Leafs can continue to receive quality goaltending from both of their netminders in the second half, it could be the difference between matching up with one of Florida or Tampa in round 1, or heading into the playoffs with home ice advantage and a wild card opponent.
If Mrazek can provide the Leafs with average or above average goaltending between now and the end of the season, it could certainly give Campbell the appropriate amount of rest to allow him to enter the postseason without being fatigued. As sharp as Campbell looked in the playoffs last year, imagine the damage a fresh Soupy could do!
The Leafs have 3 games in hand on the Bolts and 4 games in hand on Panthers, trailing both in the standings, but having the ability to pass both teams if they win those games in hand. It's also worth mentioning that the Leafs play each team twice in the second half, and winning those 4 games could be real difference makers for the Buds. Tall task, but the point stands.
From this point on, if Mrazek can continue to play well enough for Sheldon Keefe to justify provide him with at least one game per week, we could be lookin at a situation where Mrazek really hits his stride in the second half and Campbell receives the rest that he needs to be in peak shape, both mentally and physically, just when the games start to matter most.
