Maple Leafs: Speedster Kapanen called up to get fourth line into fifth gear
To hear Mike Babcock tell it, Kasperi Kapanen should have been with the Maple Leafs a lot sooner than this.
But the speedy winger — who missed nearly seven weeks with an undisclosed lower body injury — is here now. Kapanen was called up Tuesday along with backup goalie Garret Sparks, as injuries begin to take a toll with the Maple Leafs.
“It feels good,” said Kapanen. “I played good this year. I had that injury, which was a bit of a setback, but I feel I worked hard and now I feel close to 100 per cent. I’m really happy to be here.”
Kapanen has 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points in 43 games, including a goal and an assist Sunday in a 4-2 Marlies win over Binghamton.
“We’ve watched him a lot,” Babcock said of Kapanen after practice on Tuesday. “We probably could have had him sooner, but he got injured. He was tearing the league apart.”
Sparks is up on an emergency basis, backing up Curtis McElhinney while No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen wres- tles with an undisclosed upper body injury suffered Saturday in Buffalo.
Kapanen will settle in at right wing on a fourth line that perhaps should now come with danger warning: Eric Fehr (broken finger), Nikita Soshnikov (undisclosed) and Josh Leivo (undisclosed) have each been injured recently while playing on a line with Brian Boyle and Matt Martin.
“He provides real good speed,” Babcock said of Kapanen. “He’ll make Boyle and Martin way quicker. There’s no one on our team that is as quick as him. He’ll help us on the forecheck. Real good on the penalty kill.”
This is Kapanen’s first recall of the season. Last season, when the Leafs used a total of 46 players, Kapanen got into nine games with no points. This year, Kapanen believes he’s a far more complete player, being called on to kill penalties with the Marlies as well as play the power play.
“Once you take care of the defensive zone, you can try to score some goals and make plays. They really made me bear down in the defensive zone,” said Kapanen. “I’m trying to be a better player every day and I think I’ve taken some big steps from last year.
“I’m a more complete player. I feel bigger and stronger and faster compared to last year. It’s a big confidence booster.”