The Toronto Maple Leafs have been bouncing around the standings as of late. With a couple of hot streaks and surprises, the Leafs have exceeded initial expectations of being a bottom-five team early in this season. A large part of this is because of Leafs starting goaltender, Frederik Andersen, who after a rocky beginning to the season, has finally come into a form of his own.
Frederik Andersen Form Improving for Maple Leafs
Early Season Struggles
Andersen cemented his place as the number-one goalie in the off-season. After former starter Jonathan Bernier was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, the Leafs signed backup goalie Jhonas Enroth. This opened the door for Andersen to become the Leafs goalie of the future.
As the season began, Andersen unfortunately did not seem to be at the top of his game. Within his first five games of the season, he posted a .851 save percentage with only one win.
Many critics, including Hockey Night In Canada‘s own Don Cherry, responded negatively to Andersen’s early goaltending struggles. During a Coach’s Corner segment, Cherry blamed the Leafs early season struggles on their goaltending.
“The biggest mistake they ever made,” Cherry said. “It’s the problem with the Leafs right now, why they’re losing. I’ll come out and say it is that their goaltending is lousy.”
With so much criticism on their backs, things were looking rocky for both the Leafs and Andersen, but they looked forward optimistically.
Signs of Improvement
Over the next few games, Andersen proved that he deserved a starting job in Toronto. With the team’s young stars emerging, Andersen went on to post a .927 save percentage, while accumulating five wins in his next seven starts.
Since the Tampa Bay blowout, Frederik Andersen is 7-3-0 with a .931 save percentage.
— Alec Brownscombe (@MapleLeafsHS) November 18, 2016
Andersen started to look more solid between the pipes, which reflected the young team’s new persona on the ice: confident and eye-catching.
His improved play has included many spectacular saves, showing that he is beginning to feel a lot more comfortable in net for the Leafs.
https://twitter.com/JeffVeillette/status/797627076539019264
Head Coach Mike Babcock praised Andersen’s play after the Leafs practice on Wednesday.
“I said all along we had a real good goalie in (Andersen), and know it. I still don’t think he’s at the level he’s capable of being, but he’s sure getting more comfortable. We’re trying to get more comfortable around him,” Babcock told Leafs TV’s Paul Hendrick.
Andersen’s recent success in net has been nothing short of impressive, and he is a big reason why the Leafs have been able to string together wins lately.
Frederik Andersen is now 6-2-0 with a .930 save percentage in November. Went 2-2-3 with a .873 mark in October.
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) November 18, 2016
The Season is Still Young
After a set of successful back-to-back games which saw the Leafs defeating both the Nashville Predators 6-2 Tuesday, and the Florida Panthers 6-1 Thursday, it’s easy to see that the Leafs are starting to heat up. Things have changed from the beginning of the season, and Andersen has really established his ground in Toronto.
Credit is due for Andersen’s recent goaltending efforts, and while the season is still young, it’s much too early to call Andersen a bust. The Leafs currently sit one point out of a wild card spot, leaving lots of time for improvement. As the season advances it will be easier to assess Andersen’s play, but if he sticks to how he’s been playing as of late, he should be more than sufficient.
Main Photo.
