Only one second best in Leafs’ net
McElhinney could start more in an effort to keep Andersen fresh
TORONTO — There was never a doubt with Curtis McElhinney.
The veteran goalie and solidas-a-rock backup for the Toronto Maple Leafs is all but confirmed now in his role for the upcoming season. The fact he was included in the main group in training camp Thursday — for the first time in camp — further suggested the battle for the backup goalie role is all but over.
It was only natural that, when Garret Sparks made an early and solid bid for the job, there was speculation about a job battle with McElhinney. After all, Sparks has been in the organization seven years, is coming off a superb American Hockey League season where he won the league’s goalie of the year award, and in general, should be on a National Hockey League roster.
But in the case of the Leafs, McElhinney has proven indispensable, regardless of the fact the Leafs not only have Sparks but Calvin Pickard knocking on the door for NHL work.
“In my 20s, I might have thought about this (job battle) a lot more, but I’m too old now, so I just try and come out prepared and work as hard as I can,” McElhinney said recently.
At 35 years old, McElhinney has earned a reputation around the league as a reliable backup. There’s much more to it than that, though, given how important the role is in the league.
It’s arguable that the role is even more important to the Leafs than most teams.
McElhinney will sit for long periods of time, while starter Freddie Andersen occupies the spotlight. Under that setup, Andersen has set career highs with 66 starts per season over the past two years.
For McElhinney, that means long periods of no games, working hard in practice, then the pressure of having to perform and be reliable when the call comes. And that’s usually on the second of back to back games, or when Frederik Andersen gets a rare breather in his otherwise hectic schedule.
After two seasons in the backup role, McElhinney has appeared in 32 games, making 25 starts, and posting a 17-12 record, with a 2.45 goals-against average. The save percentage — .925 — is sterling for a backup, and his quality-start percentage the past two seasons comes in at .600 and .533, respectively (. 600 is considered excellent, .500 passable).
McElhinney could be called upon more often this season. There’s an obvious question about Andersen’s workload entering the campaign, with focus on fall-offs in his performance last March, and later in the first round of the playoffs.
That’s all to be decided, and the club’s thinking with Andersen could change month to month, based on how Andersen feels and performs. But, right now, there’s an obvious confidence in McElhinney that he can carry the team forward in his role.
As for Sparks, the words “give up” are not in his vocabulary.
Sparks’ camp came to a focal point after his performance in a home loss to Montreal earlier this week. With so much riding on the line, in terms of the job battle for the backup, a questionable performance may have tilted the battle back in McElhinney’s favour.
That edge is now being looked at as irretrievable for Sparks. But the well-spoken 25-year-old is not daunted by the optics surrounding the job battle at the moment.
“I don’t think there is,” Sparks said when asked if there’s anything to read into the fact he was back with what is considered the Marlies group in training camp.
“If you count yourself out, you count yourself out. No point in giving anything less than 110 per cent all the time.
“I don’t think I’ve been my best,” Sparks added. “I don’t think I’ve been anywhere close to what is my optimal level as a goalie. I have brought work ethic and it’s about getting back to things that make you successful.
“It’s different out there in camp than it is working out in the summer, you have to perform at a certain level right away. I can be more composed, and those are all things I can work on.”