Toronto Maple Leafs: Freddie Steals Another One

The Toronto Maple Leafs had no business winning last night’s game.

The Calgary Flames showed why they should be considered one of the NHL’s best teams with a thoroughly dominating performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs. But – and this is important – Freddie Andersen showed why he should be considered one of the NHL’s best goalies by absolutely stealing the game with an amazing performance.

The Flames outshot the Leafs 37-22 at 5v5 and 48-29 overall. I probably don’t have to tell you this, but in the NHL your odds of winning are incredibly low if you allow over 40 shots. Allowing 37 before you even count power-plays borders on pathetic. The Leafs could have lost this game by six and no one would have batted an eye at Andersen’s performance.

But instead, the Leafs somehow won, in a shoot-out, off a beautiful move by William Nylander.

And let us not forget William Nylander’s game while we gush over the fact that Frederick Andersen is edging closer and closer to Vezina territory. Nylander started the game on the fourth line, but he ended up playing more than anyone else (5v5) on either of the bottom two lines. Watching the game, at first, I was getting pretty frustrated because he’s skate into the Calgary end and through a pass over to Moore or Martin only to see the play evaporate. At one point there was a give-and-go with Moore that Babcock should have to watch every day on a loop as he constructs his lines.

More from Editor In Leaf

Here is all you need to know about Nylander on the fourth line: Last night, with Dominic Moore: Five minutes, 13 seconds, 16% possession rating. (Not a typo). With Patrick Marleau: Five minutes, 15 seconds, 78.57% possession rating.

Back to Freddie.

Andersen for the Vezina

As much as any one game can be stolen by a goalie, this one was. The Flames threw 47 shots on net, and Andersen only let in a single goal. That single goal was on a perfect screen that no goalie in the world could stop without just getting lucky.

Otherwise, it would have been his fourth shut-out of the year.

Andersen leads the NHL in time on ice and is tied for the lead in shut-outs. He is second in wins, and has a save percentage of .922 which is good for seventh in the NHL. All these stat become even more impressive once you realize that the Toronto Maple Leafs are the 30th ranked team in the NHL for shots against, and the 26th ranked team in scoring chances against.

It is not unreasonable, once you adjust the stats for the defensive abilities of teams, to declare Frederick Andersen the best goalie in the NHL so far in the 2017-18 season.

In fact, were it not for his objectively amazing run since the start of November, we could be writing about how the Leafs offense is in second gear, how they allow too many shots and how the season is slipping away.

Next: Where Matthews Ranks for Ice Time Among Centres Will Blow You Away

There is one reason the Leafs have a winning record. One reason why they went on a seven game winning streak where they probably deserved to lose six of the games. That reason is Freddie Andersen.

stats from NHL.com + Naturalstatrick.com

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