Andersen’s status clouds Leafs’ plans in final stretch

The lessons the Maple Leafs learned in losing close games during the earlier stages of the 2016-17 regular season should help bear fruit in the final two weeks.

The asterisk, of course, is the status of Frederik Andersen.

The goaltender was to be assessed by Leafs doctors on Sunday after he was forced out of the Leafs’ loss in Buffalo the previous evening with an upper-body injury.

Leafs coach Mike Babcock will provide an update on Monday following practice, with the suspicion from observers that it was either a concussion or shoulder injury suffered by Andersen during the first period versus the Sabres.

The initial expectation is that Curtis McElhinney will be relied upon to take on an increased role. For the majority of his career in the NHL that began in 2007-08 with the Calgary Flames, McElhinney has played the role of backup and he has never played in more than 32 games in a season.

Indeed, with the Florida Panthers next on the Leafs’ schedule on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre, it’s important to note that McElhinney has started just 13 regular-season games in total after the date of March 27.

McElhinney has played in one NHL playoff game, in 2009 with the Flames, and it was a 34-minute appearance, not a start.

In other words, McElhinney barely has more experience in crucial late-season NHL games than, say, the Leafs’ terrific rookie trio of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

The Leafs have eight games remaining.