Curtis answers the call for backup
McElhinney shows he can be counted on when starter Andersen needs a break
It could be argued that, as a backup goalie on a contending team, Maple Leafs goalie Curtis McElhinney has the hardest job in the NHL.
He plays sporadically, mostly in the second of back-to-back games when his teammates are more likely to be tired. But the pressure to win, to make saves, is just the same.
And yet when he does a good job — and McElhinney has done that since arriving last year — Leafs coach Mike Babcock usually doesn’t like to be too complimentary.
“It’s a hard job, but it’s a good job,” Babcock said after McElhinney’s last start, a 25-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the New York Rangers on Feb. 1. “Lots of people would like to do what he does.”
McElhinney likely will be in net Sunday when the Leafs finish their two-game weekend trip in Detroit. He agrees with Babcock’s take on the backup’s role.
“It’s a very black-and-white situation,” he said. “It’s just the reality of pro sports: Did you perform, or did you not perform? Did you get the result or not? It’s a matter of getting results, and at this level, that’s all that matters.”
The life of a backup goalie is not easy. There is more practice time. He stays out with the scrubs who are getting bag-skated. He stays out with the players who want a little more time to work on their shots, or other parts of their game.
And, of course, there is less playing time. Less glory.
Leaf fans are looking at the Marlies and comparing McElhinney to Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard, both of whom are having excellent seasons on the farm and perhaps setting themselves up for a job behind Frederik Andersen as early as next year.
But it’s one thing to play well when you play regularly; it’s another to pull it off for a full season while accepting that the main job is not yours.
“It’s how you look at your lot in life,” Babcock said. “You dig in and you do the best you can with what you’re given. That’s a real good pro. A real good teammate to Freddie (Andersen). I think it’s real important for your starting goalie to have a real good partner.”
McElhinney, at 34, has a 2.27 goalsagainst average and a .932 save percentage with the Leafs this season, the best numbers of his career, with a record of 6-4.
“I’ve felt good in there all year long,” he said. “Good for me to come in here and build on what I did last year.” McElhinney’s career numbers aren’t that impressive (2.90 GAA, .907 save percentage) but he was a backup on some pretty terrible teams in his prime. He has only one playoff appearance to his credit. This year, the team in front of him is pretty good.
“We’re in a good situation this year,” he said.
“The nice thing was we’ve built on what we started last year. There are still a lot of games left. It’s been an enjoyable year. We’ve been pushing it the whole time. We’ve found ways to win games when maybe we shouldn’t have (won). It’s been continued growth and that’s what we’re looking for.”
When he arrived last year, McElhinney became the oldest player on a very young team. This year, he’s been joined by Patrick Marleau (38), Dominic Moore (37) and Ron Hainsey (36).
Each, he says, has helped shape the young group.
“Patty (Marleau) is a pretty special guy, the fact he’s been around so long,” McElhinney said. “When you’ve done what he’s done for the amount of time he’s done that, it’s pretty impressive. His consistency is one of those things. Hainsey and Moore have been around a long time. They’re good examples to have for some of these younger guys. They’re pulling their weight and the kids are following along.”
The kids — notably Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner — have been all right. They have had their issues: Matthews dealt with a couple of injuries; Nylander and Marner slumped for stretches and were moved to the fourth line for a bit. But they were the team’s three top scorers heading into this mini road trip.
McElhinney says he likes how they’ve developed.
“Everybody talks about a sophomore slump,” he said.
“I haven’t really seen that from our guys. They’ve continued to push themselves to find that consistency in their game. They’re still finding ways to learn how to be more consistent as well. But it’s been impressive.”