Leafs monitoring Andersen's workload in final 12 games
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Frederik Andersen will be back in net for the Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
But with 12 games remaining in the regular season, and in the midst of a challenge to keep a grip on a playoff spot, the Leafs are going to evaluate Andersen’s workload on a daily basis.
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“It’s game by game at this point, given what’s at stake,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said after practice on Wednesday at the Ford Performance Centre.
“Jack Campbell has given us a lot of confidence in the backup position. We need to be cognizant of Fred’s workload, but I don’t think it’s anything where we are going to be making any sort of long-term plans and locking into saying, ‘He will play here, won’t play there.’
“There is an ongoing discussion each day about where Fred is at and what’s the right decision for us to make for that particular day for us to make the playoffs and also be in a position where Fred is not overworked going into the playoffs. That’s a tough balance for us right now.”
Andersen was sharp in a 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, making 32 saves as the Leafs moved three points ahead of the Florida Panthers for third place in the Atlantic Division.
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On Thursday, Andersen will start at Scotiabank Arena against a Nashville Predators club that was holding on to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference before games on Wednesday.
Andersen has won five of his past seven starts, including a shutout against Pittsburgh on Feb. 20 and shutting out Los Angeles through 65 minutes last Thursday before the Leafs lost 1-0 in a shootout.
Some rest appears to have benefited him, as he has made just to starts in the past 10 days.
In their final 12 games, the Leafs have just one back-to-back set, in Tampa and Carolina on March 25 and 26 respectively.
At practice on Wednesday, Keefe didn’t make any changes to his lines or defence pairs following the win against Tampa.
Morgan Rielly, who returned to the lineup versus the Lightning after missing 23 games with a broken foot and played well, reported some soreness on Wednesday morning, which was not unexpected.
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“It’s sore and you’re a little bit more tired than normal, but it’s just a good feeling to be back and out there,” Rielly said. “I was happy with certain things and certain things I want to do better. The main thing is my body felt pretty good and I thought I was decent for the most part. But you always want to be better with the puck. That’s the hardest part. Moving forward, that will be something I will try to focus on.”
The Leafs, meanwhile, have grounded their scouting staff from air travel in the wake of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but as a team spokesman noted, most of the team’s scouting trips involving air travel have been completed. Scouts will continue to attend games in various leagues, but use only ground travel until further notice.
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