What it came down to, really, is the fact Garret Sparks couldn’t be trusted for mop-up duty in Round 1 should something happen to Frederik Andersen. Now the Leafs turn to Michael Hutchinson. (via reporterchris)
It’s both a bold move and a justified one.
What it came down to, really, is the fact he couldn’t be trusted for mop-up duty in Round 1 should something happen to Andersen. Make no mistake: It could be a significant one. You’ll hear some suggest that it won’t matter because the Leafs are doomed if they’re relying on anyone other than Andersen, but in the playoffs they might only need a solid 10-minute stretch from the backup to preserve a win or one quality start to provide the tipping point in a series.
Hutchinson carries a little more NHL experience than Sparks — having appeared in 111 games, compared with 37 for him — and has a .910 save percentage with the AHL Marlies this season. He knows the drill here.
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