In other Maple Leafs news, Matt Murray started for the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night in Bakersfield, Calif.
If only that Murray start had been in the National Hockey League and several thousand kilometres to the northeast.
Goaltender Dennis Hildeby was exposed against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Leafs’ 5-1 loss at Scotiabank Arena, as his mobility in the crease was an issue as Toronto’s three-game winning streak came to an end.
A few of the Leafs’ defencemen, including Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, discussed the team’s failure to clean up in front of their own net. Sure, Hildeby might have needed more support, but the 6-foot-7 netminder wasn’t sharp either.
“Disappointing, frustrating,” Hildeby said. “I think I could have done a little better too.”
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He wasn’t quick in moving post-to-post, and watching him on this frigid January night reminded us just how much more agile Joseph Woll is when he’s in the Leafs crease.
Fact is, Hildeby has been no better than average in six games with the Leafs this seasons. His a save percentage dropped to .878 after he allowed four Jackets goals on a total of 18 shots.
If the Leafs are going to plug someone in when Woll needs a rest, and yes, we’re aware that Anthony Stolarz is getting closer to returning from a knee procedure, the veteran Murray would be a safer option.
Murray had a .933 save percentage going into the Marlies’ game against the Condors and had posted back-to-back shutouts.
The latter has demonstrated he’s not quite ready for the NHL, whether it’s one game or a handful.
It was Hildeby’s first game since Jan. 11.
“He wants to be better,” coach Craig Berube said. “He’s trying to battle. I’m not going to sit here and blame the goalie. We have to be better. We have to score some goals and we didn’t.
“Ideal situation is he’s playing more games down in the minors, but that’s not the situation right now.”
Hildeby was asked how challenging it is for his development to go back and forth between the Marlies and the Leafs. He didn’t let himself off the hook.
“Every goalie in this league has done the same journey,” Hildeby said. “It is challenging, but you have to find a way to deal with it. I love my time up here. I’m having a lot of fun, even though the results haven’t been there so far.”
GAME ON
Matthew Knies is not a replaceable winger on the Leafs’ top line, and the club has to hope that his upper-body injury doesn’t keep him out too long. Bobby McMann is the closest type of player to what Knies brings, and the Leafs already are without Max Pacioretty, never mind centre John Tavares. Among Leafs forwards, Knies and Pacioretty are in the top four in hits, and McMann is sixth. A tough test for the Leafs’ depth could await … Of the Leafs’ 29 shots on goal, captain Auston Matthews (six), William Nylander (six) and Mitch Marner (four) had 16 of them. That’s not a good look for the rest of Toronto’s forwards … Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins isn’t having a Vezina Trophy-type season. The Leafs didn’t have the kind of jam in front of Merzlikins that was required to put the puck in the net. When Nylander found Matthews for the Toronto goal in the third period, it was 4-0 Jackets … If the purpose of the Leafs power play was to ensure that all five of Toronto skaters was to touch the puck at least twice, then give each of them a participation ribbon. Unfortunately for all Leafs involved, touches don’t count on the scoreboard. What does count — goals — didn’t come on three Leafs power plays … Two Toronto power plays came when the score was 0-0, so yes, a goal on one of those man advantages might have helped lead to a different result … From the department of just when we think we’ve seen it all: The stick exchange between Merzlikins and Matthews in the first period. You read that right. Merzlikins grabbed the stick out of Matthews’ hands during a play at the crease, and at the same time dropping his own. A confused Matthews grabbed the goalie’s stick and gave a look of “what else am I supposed to do?” The play was whistled dead. Merzlikins was penalized for holding the stick, Matthews for using an illegal stick. “He took my stick out of my hands, so I saw his stick and decided to play with his for a second,” Matthews said. “I don’t know. Have to read the rule book, I guess.” We wonder: Why wasn’t Merzlikins also penalized for using an illegal stick?… Jackets forward James van Riemsdyk told us in the morning that not only is he still in touch with former Leafs linemates Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak, the three are part of a group chat that also includes Dion Phaneuf, Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly, among others from the Leafs teams of the mid-2010s. “It’s a special group that we had (in Toronto), still have a great bond,” van Riemsdyk said. “I try to see those guys whenever I can.” On an earlier work trip to southern California, van Riemsdyk went to Phaneuf’s house for dinner … The best player in your weekly game of shinny doesn’t get as many breakaways as Nylander does in the best hockey league on the planet … When van Riemsdyk scored in the second period, it was his seventh goal in 26 career games against Toronto, and it was his first game-winner of the season. For Toronto, van Riemsdyk scored 154 goals in 413 games … Columbus didn’t have a power play in the game … The fight between Ryan Reaves and Mathieu Olivier in the first period was Reaves’ first since last April 6 when he scrapped with Montreal’s Michael Pezzetta. Will it be another 9 1/2 months before Reaves fights again? … The Leafs will play host to their annual Skate for Easter Seals Kids on Thursday at the Ford Performance Centre … Matthews has scored in eight of 10 games since coming back from an upper-body injury.
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