maple leafs

Mrazek starting Heritage Classic in spite of dropping ball against Arizona

Mar 11, 2022 • 6:33 pm

Be sure to like HockeyBuzz on facebook!

For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter

*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******

The Toronto Maple Leafs hoped in the wake of Jack Campbell’s injury that veteran Petr Mrazek would pick up the slack and provide stability between the pipes for the next few weeks, but following a 5-4 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas may have to cast out the net for available goaltenders on the trade market in advance of the NHL Trade Deadline.

Mrazek was 10-4-0 entering the game but had a sub .900 save percentage in 13 starts and was not sharp on Thursday, allowing four goals on 12 shots before being pulled midway through the second period in favor of Erik Kallgren.

The 25-year-old Swede accounted himself well in his first NHL action, making 10 saves and allowing the Leafs to stage a comeback, tying the game with third-period goals from Alex Kerfoot, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander before Jakob Chychrun’s overtime winner.

“(Kallgren) was great. He was calm, cool, collected, and (made) big saves. He looked to be confident for a guy going in for his first start in those circumstances with no heads up.… Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the loss. “He didn’t get tested a lot and then when he did, he was really good. Obviously, there was nothing he could do at all on the winning goal, but he kept us alive with that save in overtime just before that.…

The Leafs continue to not put in sixty-minute efforts, either blowing early leads as they did against Seattle or falling behind three goals to a team tied for last place in the Western Conference.

With 10 days left until the deadline, Toronto’s options are slim in terms of finding an upgrade on the goalie market. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported earlier in the week that Dubas was doing his due diligence in contacting Chicago about the availability of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, but the future Hall-of-Famer’s $7 million salary would nearly be impossible to fit under the salary cap.

The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reported on Friday that Mrazek will start against Buffalo in the Heritage Classic in Hamilton on Sunday. Depending on how confident Toronto is on Campbell’s return, Dubas may have to add a third goalie to the mix as he did last season with David Rittich, but it would have to a low-salaried option like Anton Forsberg ($900,000) or Craig Anderson ($750,000) if the Leafs still want upgrade on defense.

*******