Sheldon Keefe sings the praises of Erik Kallgren after back-to-back wins for the rookie
Earlier this week I wrote an article calling for the Leaf's net to belong to Erik Källgren until further notice. The rookie netminder had just recorded a shutout in his first start and had looked excellent in relief of Petr Mrazek against the Coyotes. The comments were, at large, not very kind, but for a team who has not given fans much to be excited about since the Mats Sundin era, who can blame fans for being a little jaded?
Then, King Erik (as he will henceforth be known) and company hosted the Carolina Hurricanes and not only did he win that game, he thoroughly outplayed former Leafs goalie and 2022 Vezina Trophy candidate Frederik Andersen. The kid is good. Good enough that I will re-iterate, until Jack Campbell is healthy, and perhaps even after that, the Leafs' net belongs to Erik Källgren.
Sheldon Keefe was equally impressed by the young Swede, specifically his calm demeanor:
"You would think it'd be natural for him to get caught up in it and get overly excited. I'm not sure if I've seen him smile yet. I think that just speaks to his demeanor, and I think all that plays into how this has gone for him."
That calmness, that borderline stoic attitude from Källgren is a perfect fit in Toronto. To be honest, it's not unlike the aforementioned Frederik Andersen, who is known for how even keel he is. Far removed from the erratic movements of Petr Mrazek, or the confidence-dependent Jack Campbell, Källgren just seems to quietly go to work.
It's also this calm, simple style of play that leads me to believe this is sustainable. Will he always be a .968 goalie? No - no goalie ever is - but the fact that he relies on positioning and fundamentals over reaction and athleticism leads to a more consistent goaltender, and that's all the Leafs need for now. Consistency.
| POLL | ||
MARS 18 | 320 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe sings the praises of Erik Kallgren after back-to-back wins for the rookie Will Kallgren still be the Leafs' number one option once Campbell returns from injury? | ||
| Yes | 92 | 28.8 % |
| No | 87 | 27.2 % |
| Play the hot hand, whoever it may be | 141 | 44.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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