With a back-to-back against the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders on Saturday and Sunday, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed on Friday that Erik Kallgren will get his 11th NHL start against Ottawa tonight.
Kallgren, a 25-year-old rookie, sports an .899 save percentage, a 2.93 GAA and holds a 5-3-1 record this season. He started much stronger than he has been playing for the Leafs of late, but the Buds are limited for options, and with Kallgren possessing a lot of what makes for a solid NHL goaltender, it may just be a matter of gaining the experience now.
The Leafs have just 8 games remaining, but do hold a 4-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning, their most likely round 1 opponent, and a 7-point lead over the Boston Bruins, who appear poised to finish in a wild card spot.
