TORONTO – The Maple Leafs will try to get back in the win column on Tuesday without starting goaltender Frederik Andersen, who decided after the morning skate that he isn’t ready to return from a neck injury.
“It’s just part of the process,” explained head coach Sheldon Keefe, while denying Andersen had suffered any setbacks in his recovery. “He [wanted] to get another skate in today and see how he felt. He’s been progressing very well and working towards a return, but not quite there yet.”
Toronto will go back to goaltender Jack Campbell when they host the Arizona Coyotes, marking his third straight start for the club since being acquired via trade with Los Angeles last Wednesday. Campbell is 1-0-1 with a .900 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average for the Leafs. Third-string goalie Michael Hutchinson will be the backup.
Andersen has been sidelined since hurting his neck in the first period of last week’s 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. Commenting on the injury for the first time following Monday’s practice, Andersen wouldn’t pinpoint exactly where in that opening frame the injury occurred – whether in a collision with Mark Pysyk or Frank Vatrano – but was feeling positive about his progress.
The fact Andersen was able to fully participate in Tuesday’s morning skate was encouraging for the Leafs, but Keefe is happy to have Campbell manning the net until his starter is back to full health.
“I just like the confidence that he has in himself and the confidence that he brings to our team,” Keefe said. “He’s excited for every opportunity that comes about, and it doesn’t matter how it comes about, he’s ready for it. Today he didn’t come to the arena necessarily thinking he’d be starting, but he’s ready for anything that comes.”
Facing the Coyotes, Campbell and the Leafs are prepared for an opponent riding high off their dramatic, come-from-behind victory over Montreal on Monday, and to challenge their own recent habit of letting games slip away in the third period.
Last week, the Leafs blew a 3-1 third-period lead in Monday’s loss to Florida, and did so again in Friday’s game against Anaheim before managing to win 5-4 in overtime. The next night in Montreal, Toronto had a 1-0 lead in the third but put only one shot on net the entire frame, eventually falling 2-1 in overtime.
Keefe insists the run of poor play exhibited by the Leafs late in those games isn’t indicative of a deeper problem.
“We think that we had a bad week in that regard,” he said. “Sometimes, when it happens like that, it can be something big that snowballs, and you want to control it and you want to be aware of it. Sometimes, it’s just happenstance. Each game is unique. We’re not overthinking that; we believe in our group, we’re confident in the greater sampling of what we’ve done and we want to make sure the focus is on not putting ourselves in that position again.”
Still, in the 33 games since Keefe took over as head coach on Nov. 20, Toronto ranks fourth in the NHL in third-period goals against (40), and sits seventh in goals for (41). That’s enough to suggest increased diligence in the third would go a long way in helping Toronto stay in the postseason picture.
With 26 regular-season games to go, the Leafs are perched at third place in the Atlantic Division, just two points ahead of Florida with the Panthers holding a game in hand.
“I think that maybe for a little bit we’ve been getting a little too loose in the third,” said forward Alexander Kerfoot. “I think last game [in Montreal], we did a really good job defensively, but maybe we overcompensated a little bit and we were sitting back maybe too much and they dominated the run of play in the third period. I don’t think we want to sit back, but we also have to have the right defensive posture.”
The Leafs have been focused on improving play in their defensive zone all season, but particularly since returning from the All-Star Break in January.
Over the past seven games, Toronto’s shots against have dropped slightly to 30.1 per game from 32.3 on the season. The trick for the Leafs is to find enough balance where attention to defensive detail doesn’t sap their offensive powers.
“I think it’s just challenging the inside a little bit more,” said Auston Matthews. “The focus a lot lately has just been our defensive play and making sure that structure is there, but at the same time, when we get the puck, it’s [like] get going and go the other way and play on offence and utilize our talent and ability. That’s obviously something that’s been lacking just a bit lately. But in the end, playing well defensively is going to lead the offence and we just have to make sure we capitalize on that.”
