Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 things to watch for against Canadiens

Which Frederik Andersen will we see?

The Leafs chances go as far as Andersen can take them and over the past few seasons, he has been able to carry them in the regular season but the playoffs have been another story.

It’s easy to see the results and videos from scrimmage and have some level of concern from Andersen but it’s easy to get carried away about the results from an informal scrimmage. This is why the Leafs starting netminder can silence a lot of critics with a strong performance against the Canadiens.

He doesn’t have to be perfect but any “soft goal” he gives up is going to be met with harsh criticism and question marks about whether he is capable of being “Steady Freddy” especially when goaltending can go a long way in determining the Leafs fate.

There has been a lot of commentary about how Andersen has been a slow starter at the start of the season and there have been shaky moments during the season. The 30-year-old has had his worst statistical season so far with a .909 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average but looked like he was turning a corner before the season went on pause.

With Jack Campbell a legitimate option to turn to if he stumbles, Andersen might have the necessary pressure to be at his best as long as he worries about what he can control.