With backup netminder Jean-Sébastien Giguère getting the start between the pipes, the Toronto Maple Leafs received a 4-0 spanking from the highly beatable Florida Panthers last night. The game most likely marked the unofficial end of the Leafs playoff push—though the club is still mathematically alive—and proved once again that Giguère gives the Leafs a legitimate chance to lose each time he steps in front of his team’s net.
Getting his first start since February 16, Giguère played well in the first period, but seemed to come apart in the second, when the Panthers exploded for three unanswered goals. Granted, the Leafs couldn’t put the puck in the net anyway—hard truth: no matter how well your goalie plays, you can’t win the game when you don’t score—but Jiggy still looked deeply average, and it was a relief to see him pulled with five minutes remaining in the final stanza.
The veteran has started 26 games this season and has an unremarkable 11-11-4 record with a .898 save percentage. Considering he’s had Toronto’s defensive corps playing in front of him, his 2.90 goals-against average actually isn’t so bad, but his inconsistent play doesn’t seem to inspire confidence among his teammates, and his constant injuries make him even less of an asset.
How Giguère, now the backup goaltender, is one of the highest-paid players on the Leafs remains a mystery.
• Leafs miss chance to gain ground with 4-0 loss to Panthers [Toronto Star] • An Ugly Way to Go [Toronto Star] • Another uneasy loss for Maple Leafs [Globe and Mail] • Reimer sits as Leafs fall against Panthers [National Post] • An ugly loss for Leafs [Toronto Sun]
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