Frederik Andersen is day to day with the Toronto Maple Leafs because of a groin injury.
"Obviously he's not in a position to play so we have got to be extra cautious with him and that's what we're doing," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said of the 29-year-old goalie prior to their game against the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN1, MSG+, ESPN+, NHL.TV).
"I think we'll know more in the next two days. During the year everybody is always bumped and bruised and there's issues and it goes on and on and it's how you maintain it. You think when you come back from a break, that's why we had it set up the way we did - practice, pregame skate - but [Andersen] didn't respond the way we wanted to or hoped to."
Andersen is 20-9-1 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 30 games and ranks second in the NHL with 20 wins, one behind Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Backup Garret Sparks made 27 saves in a 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and will start against the Islanders. Sparks is 6-1-1 with a 2.88 GAA and .910 save percentage in nine games (eight starts) for the Maple Leafs.
"Well, we've dealt with injuries and guys being out of the lineup all year so far," Maple Leafs center John Tavares said. "Obviously [Andersen has] been a huge key to our success, there's no doubt about that. It's a great opportunity for Sparks to step up and continue to play the way he is playing and for us as a group to challenge ourselves to move forward and play well and know that we have to continue to play well defensively."
The Maple Leafs recalled goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo on an emergency basis from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Saturday. He is 3-5-1 with a 4.12 GAA and .866 save percentage in 11 AHL games this season and will back up Sparks against the Islanders.
Toronto also acquired goalie Michael Hutchinson in a trade with the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Hutchinson, 28, is 1-1-2 with a 4.17 GAA and .839 save percentage in four games (three starts) with the Panthers this season. He's is 2-3-2 with a 3.33 GAA and .906 save percentage in eight games with Springfield of the AHL.
The Maple Leafs (26-10-2, 54 points) have won five straight games and are in second place in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html
No comments:
Post a Comment