Dennis Hildeby turns his first real Maple Leafs audition into a statement vs. the Canadiens
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby showed exactly why the team had so much faith in him after his performance against the Montreal Canadiens.
In his first game since being named the de facto starter after both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll went down with injuries, Dennis Hildeby was tasked with taking on the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
He's been solid in relief this season, but hasn't really been asked to face everyday competition, and the Canadiens were a tough first opponent in that role.
How Dennis Hildeby handled his first real night as the maple leafs' number one
Though he didn't come away with the win on Saturday after falling 2-1 in a shootout, Hildeby was fantastic and made several key saves throughout the game that gave Toronto every chance to stay in it.
Stopping 33 of 34 shots, Hildeby was rock solid and never looked out of place, using all of his 6'7 frame to frustrate Montreal all night. It does put an end to Toronto's three-game winning streak, but you can't fault Hildeby at all.
Toronto had their chances but just couldn't capitalize, and with several high-danger chances in OT, it felt like the team had it locked down, but Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes shut the door before leading to the shootout.
It was a great first showing that proved that even though he may have come out with the loss, Hildeby can be trusted to handle the workload for the Maple Leafs while they deal with their injury issues.
What Hildeby's performance means for the Maple Leafs' goalie plan without Joseph Woll
Right now, the team is going to need these types of performances from Hildeby, and they can't risk overworking him but right now the schedule gives them a little leeway.
They play Monday against Tampa, then not until Thursday, so getting a respite from playing in general will keep Hildeby well rested and also give Woll a lot more time to recover.
It's unknown if Artur Akhtyamov is going to see any action unless Hildeby struggles heavily or heaven forbid; goes down himself with an injury. At that point it is time to hit the panic button and find a goalie somewhere or the team is going to have an uphill battle to say the least.
As long as Hildeby can stay healthy and prove that he can turn in the same type of performance he had against Montreal night in and night out, things may not be so scary for the Maple Leafs even if they're down their top two starters.
If Hildeby keeps giving them this level, Brad Treliving can afford to be patient. If he falters or gets hurt, they're out of internal options in a hurry.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 6 | 714 ANSWERS Dennis Hildeby turns his first real Maple Leafs audition into a statement vs. the Canadiens Were you impressed with Dennis Hildeby's performance against Montreal? | ||
| Yes | 702 | 98.3 % |
| No | 12 | 1.7 % |
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