Maple Leafs Officially Recall Goaltender From Marlies Ahead of Game 1 Against Senators

Tonight, the Maple Leafs will kick off their 1st round series against their archivals, the Ottawa Senators, and the excitement and anticipation could not be higher.

Thankfully for the Leafs, the injury issues they were dealing with towards the end of the season appear to have resolved, with defensemen Jake McCabe and and Oliver Ekman-Larsson skating with their regular D partners at Saturday's practice.

After much speculation about who the Game 1 starter might be, Anthony Stolarz has emerged as the most likely candidate to open the series, with Joseph Woll likely beginning as the backup. However, for some added insurance, the Leafs have announced that they're bringing up a 3rd goalie.

Per Leafs PR on Twitter, the Maple Leafs have officially recalled rookie goalie Artur Akhtyamov from the Toronto Marlies ahead of Sunday's post-season opener.

With the Marlies also qualifying for the playoffs, it appears as though they're planning to run Matt Murray and Dennis Hildeby as their 1-2 punch, leaving Akhtyamov on the outside looking in. As it turns out, the organization believes that Akhtyamov would be better served receiving some reps and coaching with the NHL club.

The first-year AHL goaltender has posted mixed results this season, starting quite strong, but finishing with a record of 11-8-4 to go along with a .901 SV% and a 2.81 GAA.

While it's expected that Akhtyamov won't see any games for the Leafs in this very important post-season run, his recall certainly shows the faith that the Leafs have in him, bringing him along for the ride and allowing him to gain some valuable experience as the team attempts to embark on a lengthy playoff run.

Should the Leafs go deep and the Marlies falter earlier, however, I'd imagine we'll see one of Murray or Hildeby recalled to provide some additional insulation, pushing Akhtyamov back down the depth chart a little ways.