Eat Sleep Leafs

The patience ran down Vesa Toskala’s face like little beads of sweat following the Leafs final preseason game, a 7-6 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

The same questions.

The same doubts.

The opening day number one is itching to bring it all back and in quick order.

 

Two seasons of what can only be described as disappointment in Toronto, Toskala now has Jonas Gustavsson biting at his heels for a shot at the number one job.

Brian Burke didn’t make three trips to Sweden to lure what he deemed “the best goalie outside the NHL” to wait on Toskala. If the 32-year-old isn’t up to par in the early going, there won’t be a shred of hesitation to test the Monster.

Last September in the early stages of training camp, Coach Ron Wilson said that Toskala would play between 65-70 games, but this season he made no such declaration, preferring instead to let wins decide playing time.

Win and you’re in. Lose and the bench is yours.

And while the preseason finished with more of a whimper than a bang for Toskala (7 goals in 24 shots, although the team in front of him was plain bad), he was pleased to wrap up the exhibition schedule feeling no pain or discomfort after undergoing hip and groin surgery last March.

“Yeah actually really happy,” Toskala said of his preseason progress, “just because my body feels so good. You know I can do things that I want to do on the ice, so I don’t have to second-guess [goals] like back-door plays. So that’s the number one thing, to stay healthy and I think big saves are coming from there.”

 

Gustavsson’s presence could be the X-factor this season for Toskala.

 

The Monster hasn’t played games of political correctness since arriving in Toronto. He’s gunning for the number one gig. And he’ll be breathing down Toskala’s neck to get it, which might actually help, not hurt Toskala. He’ll feel it. That pressure to perform. That pressure to be better or else. It served him well over four seasons in San Jose, when Toskala posted extraordinary numbers under then head coach Ron Wilson.

“I think it’s unfair to compare this team to San Jose team,” Toskala said, “but for sure we are moving in the right direction. We got great players so we’re going to be a better team and hopefully we’re going to get closer to those San Jose numbers.

Donning the mask in the beauty of sunny Northern California is one thing. Donning it in the harsh, cold and unforgiving landscape that is Toronto is completely another, but it’s a fact Toskala has accepted and understands.

The confidence of Wilson is another stone in Toskala’s favour, but that support will be hard to justify if the goaltender isn’t on his game early.

“I’ll say it right now, Vesa will be starting on Thursday so there’s no controversy here, no problem,” Wilson declared following the loss to Buffalo.

No problem if Toskala’s on his game. Different story if he’s not.

 

-J.Siegel