Toronto Maple Leafs: Garret Sparks has golden opportunity with Andersen injured

Toronto Maple Leafs starting goaltender Frederik Andersen will not dress for the team in tonight’s game due to a groin injury forcing Garret Sparks to carry the load.

The injury to Frederik Andersen, which has seen him listed day-to-day by the Toronto Maple Leafs, will see backup Garret Sparks start in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

While it isn’t ideal for the Leafs to lose Andersen, it does present Sparks with an excellent opportunity to prove he is capable of carrying the load, in the Dane’s absence.

So far in 2018/19, Sparks has appeared in just nine games – sporting a highly impressive 6-1-1 record. The result of one of the nine games Sparks played in, a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins, is attributed to Andersen as Sparks played just over 13 minutes and faced just four shots in the game, saving all of them.

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Sparks has been sturdy in his limited action, with a save percentage of .910 and goals against average of 2.88 – not exceptional numbers, but solid enough for a backup. In last night’s 4-2 victory Sparks saved 27 out of 29 shots he faced, posted a .931 save percentage, one of his most impressive outings of the season.

With the Leafs now set to face the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena, Sparks will have another opportunity to impress.
Andersen has often been used far more than the average starting goaltender since signing a five-year, $5 million deal with the Leafs.

Curtis McElhinney performed well in very limited opportunities last season but Leafs fans will be hoping that Andersen is rested more often this time around and the team’s backup can step up to the plate in a strong way.

Andersen might miss a couple of games with this injury, but it gives Sparks a chance to perform and stake a claim for more minutes as the season wears on, with playoff fatigue a real concern where Andersen is concerned.

With Andersen sidelined, the team were forced to call up Finnish goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo on an emergency basis from their AHL affiliates, the reigning Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies.

The Marlies themselves have had some issues in net, so losing Kaskisuo for any period of time will be less than ideal for the minor league club.

The hope is that Andersen returns sooner rather than later but for now, the expectations of the Toronto Maple Leafs rest firmly on Sparks’ shoulders.

What do you think Leafs Nation? Are you disappointed with this news? Are you pleased to see Sparks get an opportunity to prove himself? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!