The Leafs' net belongs to Erik Källgren until further notice
A buzz grew throughout Scotiabank Arena as Leafs captain John Tavares left the ice, followed by a massive cheer. Erik Källgren skated out to greet the fans as the game's first star. The 25-year-old rookie pitched a 35 save shutout in his first career NHL start. He is the first Leafs goalie to finish a game with a save percentage over .900 since Feb 28th.
Källgren was calm, cool and collected in the net, displaying a level of confidence not seen in the Toronto goal since before the All-Star break. His movement was quiet, he didn't overplay shots and while he did drop a few rebounds, he tracked them well and kept them in front of him.
The Leafs, to their credit, did a good job of letting Källgren see pucks and limiting shots to the outside. Overall, the game against Dallas was strong in all aspects. The Leafs played a simple, hard working style in the absence of Auston Matthews. Rasmus Sandin, Ilya Lyubushkin and Morgan Rielly were standouts on the blueline, making life easier for Källgren.
While Sheldon Keefe refused to make a commitment after the game, the net has to belong to Erik Källgren going forward. It has to. Petr Mrazek has become a complete non-option and Jack Campbell needs time to heal from his injury and will still need to get his game back on track when he returns. Källgren may be short on NHL experience, but going with the hot hand is the right strategy.
It should comfort fans to know that Källgren is a playoff performer. Last season, he posted a sparkling .930sv% with a 1.94 GAA in the playoffs en route to a Swedish Hockey League title with the Väjkö Lakers. It may not the the NHL, but it is professional hockey and it shows that Källgren doesn't shrink in big game situations.
It's extremely early in Källgren's career, and if the situation in the Leafs' net weren't so dire, the answer may be different. Desperate times call for desperate measures however, so for the time being, the net should belong to Erik Källgren until he or Jack Campbell give the Leafs reason to take it from him.
The Leafs play the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The high flying Canes are a much better team and will be a much tougher test than the Stars were. Källgren should get the start and if he does, we will have a better idea of whether or not he can be the answer. At the very least, he's earned a shot at it.
| POLL | ||
MARS 16 | 458 ANSWERS The Leafs' net belongs to Erik Källgren until further notice Should the Erik Kallgren be given the lion's share of the starts until he gives the Leafs a reason not to start him? | ||
| Absolutely | 320 | 69.9 % |
| No - he's not experienced enough | 41 | 9 % |
| What have they got to lose? | 97 | 21.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
