Dennis Hildeby Earns First NHL Shutout

Monday night’s win over the Lightning is Hildeby’s first win of the season in eight appearances. Although he was in the net at the end of the Leafs’ 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, the win belongs to Joseph Woll, since the Leafs were ahead when he left the game injured. Hildeby is holding a 1-2-2 record, with a solid 2.51 GAA, and a .927 SV%. He has been solid, and on Monday night, he lived up to his Hildebeast nickname.

Dennis Hildeby to Backstop the Maple Leafs Towards Christmas

With no back-to-back games until December 20th and 21st, Hildeby is likely to be the starter for the next four or five games. Hopefully, Joseph Woll will be healthy by then. Woll, despite some injuries, is having another solid season for the Leafs. He has a 4-3-1 record with a 2.44 GAA and a .923 SV%. Although the Leafs have not given a timeline for Woll’s return, his injury doesn’t seem to be too concerning.

The Maple Leafs have won four of their last five games. With 32 points, they are just three points behind the Detroit Red Wings (35) for the Atlantic Division lead. Things are not as bleak as they looked a month ago. Hopefully, the Leafs will take advantage of being at home for their next three games. They will host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, and the Chicago Blackhawks next Tuesday, before hitting the road for three games.

Losing one of your starting goaltenders is never easy, but losing both usually spells disaster for a team. The Leafs need to count their blessings and hope that Dennis Hildeby can keep playing the way he played in the last two games. It’s not the ideal situation for Hildeby to be in, but as a goaltender, you need to always be ready, and he looks ready.

The NHL standings are so close. Teams are moving up and down the standings almost nightly. Sustaining a decent win streak could help separate the Leafs from those near the middle of the pack.