Leafs should keep riding Gustavsson

Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson has a tricky decision to make for Saturday’s home game against the Red Wings: Does he keep riding the hot hand in goal, Jonas Gustavsson, in back-to-back games, or give the start over to struggling vet Vesa Toskala?

Wilson has remained mum on the decision all week, but with Toronto coming off a 3-2 win over Carolina on Friday, a game in which Gustavsson again played well, it would make sense to give the 25-year-old rookie his sixth start in the past seven games. The Leafs have now picked up points in six consecutive games, and Gustavsson has been a positive factor in the five he played.

And, after an awful start, Toronto's finally got some momentum and should keep going with the rookie.

There are two issues to consider. 1) Gustavsson is only a couple weeks removed from a groin issue that kept him out of action for almost three weeks, and Toronto can ill-afford him to miss more time, and 2) Being that this is his first NHL season, he’s not very accustomed to playing in back-to-back games.

Earlier this week, Gustavsson said that while playing two games in two nights was rare back home in Sweden’s Elitserien, he had done so in the postseason and was prepared for the challenge in the NHL.

“In the regular season, we never played back to back, but in the playoffs we did,” he said. “For everyone that plays hockey, of course its not the best situation, but you find ways to handle that and get ready for it.

“If the coach wants you to play back to back, you find a way to [do it].”

Gustavsson been getting noticeably more and more comfortable in the Leafs' crease over the past few games, making 30 saves against Tampa Bay on Tuesday and 34 against Carolina (including 18 in the third period). He has said that he’s still adjusting to some of the differences between playing in Europe and North America, namely the smaller ice surface (which leads to more difficult shots from different angles), but Saturday’s game will give him a chance to begin to grow accustomed to the NHL’s gruelling schedule.

Despite the fact Gustavsson has vastly outplayed Toskala so far this season, however, Wilson has wavered on anointing him the team’s No. 1 netminder.

“We’re going to play him right now, he’s playing really well,” Wilson said of Gustavsson. “But I wouldn’t say anybody has the No. 1 spot. Whoever’s playing well and we feel gives us on a night to night basis the best chance to win, that’s who will be in goal.”

And that’s not exactly a tough call right now.