After a prolonged period that spelled nothing but failure for the league’s most expensive franchise and pushed it to the bottom of the standings, the Toronto Maple Leafs have only recently gotten their rhythm back. The Leafs have secured three consecutive wins and will face divisional rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, on December 6 at the Scotiabank Arena.
The Leafs’ underwhelming performance cast some serious doubts about the longevity of several players on the team and also raised questions about Craig Berube’s tenure. Injury woes, in particular, have caused much distress. The team’s goaltending has had to bear the brunt of the injuries. Now, a new development along those lines has invited further dialogue.
Fans React to Toronto Maple Leafs’ Goalie Decision As the Team’s Injury Misfortune Continues
This season, the Leafs have struggled to stay healthy. Following the Maple Leafs’ November 11 game against the Boston Bruins, Captain Auston Matthews sustained a lower-body injury that kept him off the ice for a considerable period, compromising the team’s ability. Blueliner Chris Tanev last appeared in the Leafs’ showdown against the Pittsburgh Penguins and has yet to return after sustaining a concussion.
On the goaltending front, the battle against the Bruins was not just bad news for Matthews, but it was the last time goalie Anthony Stolarz was seen on ice. Despite coach Berube’s insistence at the time that Stolarz’s injury was far from grave, the netminder has since not made a comeback. Further compromising the team’s goaltending situation, Joseph Woll left the match against the Carolina Hurricanes with a lower-body injury.
At a time when the Leafs desperately need to stay in the fight, the management has decided to tackle the goalie situation by recalling G Artur Akhtyamov from the Toronto Marlies. The move has sparked a diverse range of reactions from the Leafs community.
“This is Hildeby’s chance to prove he’s a number 1 goalie. If he can prove he doesn’t need a tandem to be good and can play a lot. Then Woll and Stolarz become expandable. Something to see in these games ahead,” commented a Maple Leafs fan, outlining Dennis Hildeby’s big opportunity to prove his mettle as a goalie right now.
“Are we officially running a Leafs tandem of Hildeby-Akhtyamov,” speculated another. We have witnessed the great relationship that Stolarz and Woll shared on the ice. Could Hildeby and Akhtyamov replicate such chemistry on ice and propel the Leafs forward?
A social media user toyed with the possibility of a trade involving Matias Maccelli and Brandon Carlo in return for the St. Louis Blues goalie, Jordan Binnington. “Machelli and Carlo for Binnington?”
Whether Toronto’s goalie experiment is successful remains to be seen, as the team is set to face long-time rivals, the Canadiens, on home ice. Until then, social media discourse is likely to be lively, featuring a range of varying voices and opinions.
