Martin Jones' performance vs. Kings impacts tonight’s lineup!
The Maple Leafs face the Ducks in Anaheim later today:
HockeyFeed
Have the Toronto Maple Leafs found their hero in between the pipes? The question started trending late on Tuesday night after goalie Martin Jones made 32 saves to get his 30th career shutout. Toronto therefore snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. This was also Jones’ second shutout since returning to the NHL last month.
This comes as good news for the Maple Leafs, who are without Joseph Woll , who is sidelined for several weeks with an ankle injury and following the demotion on waivers of Ilya Samsonov.
While many trade rumours have taken over Toronto in order to find the perfect fit in net to ensure a long playoff run at a reasonable cost, Jones might have proven that he’s got what it takes to be the Leafs’ starter. So much so that after the Maple Leafs’ shutout win over the Kings, head coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned how Jones could already be back in net later tonight to face the Ducks in Anaheim. He explained to media how he would speak with general manager Brad Treliving, goalie coach Curtis Sanford and Jones himself prior to making his decision.
When asked about the matchup against the Ducks and how he felt, Jones said that he was ready to go again.
Jones’ backup is Dennis Hildeby , a 22-year-old Swede who was recently called up by Toronto. He has yet to make his NHL debut after being drafted in the fourth round, 122nd overall, in 2022.
Jones didn’t make Toronto’s roster in training camp, but he has appeared in eight of the Leafs’ last 10 games. The 33-year-old woke up a hero for the team on Wednesday and could therefore go again vs. Anaheim.
We will know later today as coach Keefe updates the situation.
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