Leafs D Brandon Carlo Blown Away by Rookie Goaltender: 'I really like playing in front of him'
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo has been shocked by the emergence of one young rookie goaltender and has given him a rave review at Leafs training camp.
The mood in Toronto is reportedly very light this fall, though the competition in training camp has been fierce. There have been a number of standouts in camp, but one of the Leafs' young goalies may be a frontrunner as the surprise of training camp.
Brandon Carlo Loves What He Sees From Rookie Goaltender Dennis Hildeby
Defenseman Brandon Carlo has been a strong performer thus far in Leafs training camp, but there's another standout that hasn't received a lot of love thus far, and Carlo has shown him some love during a media availability on Tuesday. That player is Dennis Hildeby.
Carlo told media members in Toronto prior to Tuesday's pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators that Hildeby is someone that he really enjoys playing in front of, also stating that the rookie goalie never quits on a puck.
"Hildy -- his size. He's obviously a big goalie, but he never gives up on a puck. If it's going towards the back door, you can always trust that he's going to give his full effort to get there. I really like playing in front of him. He's been great to get to know off the ice, a great human being, but I've been really impressed with just the communication he has... It's just nice to have somebody that you can always trust."
Hildeby, who recently signed a 3-year extension in Toronto, was excellent in last night's pre-season contest against the Senators, making a number of key saves in the game and earning the trust of his teammates.
Craig Berube is Also a Huge Fan of Hildeby's After Tuesday's 23-Save Performance
Head coach Craig Berube also enjoys what he has seen from Hildeby in training camp, and particularly from his 3rd string goalie during last night's 3-2 OT loss to Ottawa, in which he was perfect, making 23/23 saves.
On paper, his stats don't appear too flashy at the NHL level, the owner of a 3.33 GAA and a .878 SV%, but as a rookie goaltender, Hildeby performed more than amicably, and even stole the show on two occasions last season, highlighted by a thrilling 30-save performance in a win over Philadelphia on January 5th, which saw him post a sensational .938 SV%.
Brandon Carlo Knows a Thing or Two About Top Quality Goaltenders
If Carlo has taken notice of Hildeby's game, perhaps the 24-year-old goaltender is further along than any of us are even aware. Carlo has had the luxury of playing in front of some incredible goalies in his time in Boston, including Jeremy Swayman, Linus Ullmark and even future Hall-of-Famer Tuukka Rask.
Hildeby appears destined to begin the season with the Marlies, unless Joseph Woll's recent leave of absence carries over into the season. If that were to occur, Hildeby will likely begin the season as the go-to backup goalie for Anthony Stolarz.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 24 | 1008 ANSWERS Leafs D Brandon Carlo Blown Away by Rookie Goaltender: 'I really like playing in front of him' Do you think Dennis Hildeby is NHL-ready? | ||
| Yes | 614 | 60.9 % |
| No, not yet | 394 | 39.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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