Curtis McElhinney lives in a world where excuses are worthless and complaining won’t do him any favours. His role is clearly defined: be on the ice for practice early and stay late, go weeks between starts but perform as if you are playing regularly when you do play. Above all, support Frederik Andersen.
Since arriving in Toronto after being claimed off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets in Jan. 2017, McElhinney and Andersen have forged a strong relationship, each understanding their role on the team. The Maple Leafs' approach to goaltending has been simple: Andersen always plays unless it's the second of back-to-back games and then McElhinney plays.
“The nice thing for him is it gives him one less thing to concern himself with and obviously I understand what my role is now. I’m not here to try to steal his job, it’s more a support thing,” McElhinney told Sporting News after practice on Tuesday.
Some teams want competition among their goaltenders with the backup pushing the starter for more playing time, but not the Maple Leafs. The role of the backup goaltender in Toronto is to support the starter.
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“Mac’s (McElhinney) a real good man, he’s played real well for us,” coach Mike Babcock said. “We know who the starter is, we know what Mac’s job is and they do too. Just by being a good pro, a good person and knowing your job and supporting the starting goalie, he’s done a great job for us to say the least.”
Some goaltenders are more motivated when they know the backup is nipping at their heels for more playing time. Not Andersen.
In a conversation with Sporting News earlier in the season, the 28-year-old native of Herning, Denmark, explained that he found it more tiring when he was breaking into the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks—playing less but battling for ice time against Jonas Hiller and John Gibson—than he does this season with a far heavier on-ice workload.
Andersen works best when he knows where he stands, can anticipate when he is starting, when he can practice and when he can rest. Rather than worrying about his job security, Andersen thrives when he can simply focus on stopping the puck.
It can be a difficult dynamic to achieve amongst a goaltending tandem but McElhinney, now 34-years-old and in his tenth NHL season, has no intentions to wage a hostile takeover of the crease. He knows what he is and what is expected of him. He knows if he fulfills those responsibilities, it keeps him in the league.
“I’m just trying to support [Andersen] and if he needs anything from me then I’ll take care of that,” said McElhinney. “It’s very clearly defined what our roles are and I think that makes it a little bit easier as well.”
Seated directly beside each other at both the practice rink and Air Canada Centre, it's evident the two goaltenders hold great respect for each other. There is not a hint of animosity between them.
#Leafs Curtis McElhinney improves to 5-0-1 with a 1.63 GAA, .945 SV% & 1 Shutout in his last 7 games (4 starts). pic.twitter.com/tIuLX1VShq
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 15, 2018
“Really good, he’s really supportive of me and vice versa,” Andersen said when asked about his relationship with McElhinney. “We stick together and obviously we’re that duo where it’s a relationship where we help each other out. We literally back each other up.”
There is no doubt that Andersen values the partnership with McElhinney. The non-threatening nature of the dynamic leaves both goalies in a comfortable frame of mind.
“Fred has a pretty easygoing personality so it’s not like there’s any friction with him so that certainly adds to it as well,” said McElhinney. “He lets me do my own thing which is good, too.”
Goaltending is as strenuous mentally as it is physically. Without a clear mind, it is nearly impossible to excel. McElhinney’s support has allowed Andersen to thrive since he arrived.
“It’s good for me to have a guy first of all knowing he’s playing well when he’s coming in and giving me a night off on the back-to-backs,” said Andersen, who is four victories away from matching the Maple Leafs' record of 37 wins in a single season.
“That’s allowed me to feel comfortable not playing, when you know you have a guy who’s really capable of winning games with the guys. That’s the cool thing about our relationship, he’s been really good at being ready when called upon. It hasn’t been that often obviously because of the way we do the goaltending but he’s been ready every time.”
When McElhinney started against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, it came 16 days after his previous start. Earlier this season, he went 35 days between starts from Dec. 20 to Jan. 25. That first night back on ice, McElhinney made 40 saves, helping the Leafs to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars.
“It’s tricky, the hardest part is if you have a great game, sometimes it could be two, maybe three weeks before you get in there again so you don’t really get to build on it,” said McElhinney. “You can have a couple weeks in between starts where you’re trying to stay focused and build on that last good experience.”
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The pressure and inconsistency that McElhinney faces as the back up is not lost on his starter counterpart. When Andersen has a bad game, he knows he'll be back in the net the next game.
Andersen understands the luxuries he has.
“If you’re a starter and you come back from injury or something, it’s always, ‘Oh he’s coming off a few days of not playing and he’s got to get the rust off.’ But Curtis doesn’t get to say that,” Andersen said. “Those are the only times he gets to play so that’s the thing that sets him apart for me, he’s good at coming in ‘rusty’ and being ready. If you look at his career and the number of games per year, it’s been incredible he’s been in the league for this long and it just shows how good of a teammate he is.”
McElhinney understands that being a good teammate alone is not enough to keep him around. Though he plays sparingly, those games count. In 14 appearances, McElhinney's 8-4-1 record is responsible for 17 points. Take those away and the Maple Leafs would be on the outside of the playoffs looking in right now.
“I’m happy with everything so far. When you’re a backup, you’re just kind of looking for wins more than anything,” said McElhinney. “The numbers are a nice added bonus but I guess it’s just nice to having a winning record on top of that.”
McElhinney knows he needs to perform or the team will find somebody else. He has one year left on his contract but is well aware that it's not exactly difficult to replace a backup goalie. McElhinney himself landed in Toronto after Jhonas Enroth couldn't be relied on early in the 2016-17 season.
“There’s quite a few guys who are more than capable of doing the job,” said McElhinney. “I don’t think it’s a difficult thing to make a change with the backup goalie at least, it’s just a matter of finding the right fit for your organization. Right now we’re dealing from a position of strength with all the guys that we’ve got.”
With 24-year-old Garret Sparks having a season for the ages in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies (23-8-1; 1.84 GAA; .934 SA%) and 25-year-old Calvin Pickard matching him nearly step for step (18-8-0; 2.12 GAA; .922%), the Maple Leafs certainly have internal options.
Not only does McElhinney have to come off a long layoff and perform at a high level, he must do so knowing potential replacements are only a phone call away.
“I guess I’m just not as concerned about it anymore,” said McElhinney, when asked how he manages that pressure. “The reality of it is if your organization doesn’t have that depth, they’re going to go out and find it. We picked up Calvin (Pickard) early in the season and (Garret) Sparks has been phenomenal, I know he’s had a lot of good years down there and he’s got some games up here with some experience. I think it’s a beneficial thing to have assets in that area of the game and you never know when someone is going to go down with injury so it’s nice that we have that luxury with two guys who could come up and play quality games at this level.”
So far, McElhinney has thrived under pressure and performed admirably. His 2.20 goals-against average and .931 save percentage is a career-best in seasons with 11 or more starts. Twice he's earned shutouts and is 4-0-1 in his last five decisions.
As well as McElhinney has played this season, nothing comes close to matching the magnitude of one moment that happened on the second last day of the 2016-17 season.
The save
Almost a year ago now, in the 81st game of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Maple Leafs were leading 4-3 when Phil Kessel sent a laser-quick cross ice pass to Sidney Crosby, who was stationed at the side of the net. Crosby one-timed the pass and with 49 seconds left in the third period, it seemed inevitable that the game would be tied.
A win in any fashion that night would clinch the Maple Leafs their first playoff spot in an 82-game season since 2003-04. A loss, and it would come down to the final day of the regular season, when the Maple Leafs would need a win against the Blue Jackets or a loss for the Islanders, who were threatening Toronto's playoff hopes.
But then, the save. Quite possibly the season-saving save. And it was not from Andersen. It was from McElhinney, who had been thrust into action after Andersen left the game early in the second period when he was bumped in the head by Tom Sestito.
The calm, steady, even-keeled backup goaltender, who is not usually one for unnecessary superlatives or hyperbole, recalled that play as his career-defining moment.
“Coming in to help clinch the playoff position last year was a pivotal moment for us. It was for me, at this point, a career defining moment where I was looking to be a difference maker and help the team get over the hump,” McElhinney said. “It’s nice to get those opportunities and be able to come through with them.”
It was the type of chance that, when it materializes, especially on the stick of a player like Crosby, usually goes in the net. But on that night, for a team that desperately needed something to go its way after over a decade of frustration, McElhinney cemented his place in team history. Just making the playoffs last year was a big deal and that save played a critical role in letting Maple Leafs fans collectively exhale.
“It was just one of those saves where it set up pretty well with Phil Kessel on the half wall and he zipped a pass across and I kind of knew Sidney Crosby was floating around back there,” McElhinney recalled. “Those two have good chemistry and it was just one of those plays that set up well for me to make a low save. Anything over my pad and it’s probably in the back of the net. Maybe I’ll thank Phil for passing it as hard as he did so Sid couldn’t get it up high.”
Curtis McElhinney picks up his third consecutive win in games where he has come on in place of an injured Frederik Andersen
— David Alter (@dalter) March 15, 2018
1st of those three games was late last season in that game against Pittsburgh where they clinched a playoff berth.
Love him or hate him, he’s gets it done
Andersen was tucked away in the Maple Leafs locker room at the time, still being assessed after leaving the game. Though the action was unfolding just a few feet away, he was following television from inside the room and remembered watching the play develop.
“Best player in the league probably and it was a really good time for him to come up with a big save. As a goalie and a backup too, coming in like that and saving the game in last minute, it was unbelievable. I was really happy, everyone was excited to win that game and see us clinch a spot there so that was obviously huge. You never know what happens if we don’t.”
As it turned out, the Maple Leafs lost to Columbus and the Islanders defeated the Senators, which would have punted Toronto from the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion on the final day of the season. Who knows if the Maple Leafs beat the Blue Jackets knowing their playoff lives were at stake but who would really have wanted to take that chance? Thanks to McElhinney’s heroics, it was a scenario that never needed to play out.