As the spotlight and pressure increase on Dennis Hildeby, the goaltender continues to excel, putting any concerns about the club's goaltending depth to bed...for now.
Dennis Hildeby struck the right balance of confidence and humility after picking up his first career shutout. The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender made 29 saves to help his club defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
“Could have felt better, honestly, but I mean, it worked out,” Hildeby said. “I think I competed in there and got lucky, and some great effort by our guys out there too, carrying some rebounds and all that. I got away with it.”
Early on, the Lightning peppered Hildeby with shots. One particular chance flipped over the goaltender and appeared to be on its way into an open net, only to have defenseman Troy Stecher snatch it away at the goal line.
“It's a great play. One of those times where I felt a little off,” Hildeby admitted. “Maybe I wasn't doing what I was supposed to, but, I mean, yeah, he got it done there. So I'm very thankful for that.”
Thrust into the spotlight after goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll went down with injuries, the Leafs find themselves riding their fourth-round pick from the 2022 NHL Draft. He is expected to hold the fort for the next week or more. That is when Woll is expected to return, although past experience with the goaltender could mean it could take longer.
But with the pressure placed squarely on the goaltender known as the ‘Beast’, he has put forth solid back-to-back performances: first a 2-1 shootout loss on Saturday, and now a shutout against the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I'm just trying to enjoy it. I mean, it's easier said than done, but at the end of the day, it's like what I've been dreaming of since I started playing hockey,” Hildeby said. “So you just got to remind yourself of that and have a lot of fun in the meanwhile and just compete.”
The confidence in his play since taking over the No. 1 spot hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“That's one big thing I find with goaltending is when they get more comfortable, you can see with their puck play too, and just had another layer of confidence for him,” Jake McCabe said of Hildeby. “He's been rock solid. He put in some work the other night, comes into the third period and shuts the door as well. So, yeah, it's good stuff.”
McCabe was referring to Hildeby coming on in relief of Woll for the third period of the club’s win against the Carolina Hurricanes. It became evident then that it was Hildeby’s net for the time being.
Hildeby was given the game puck at the end for the shutout and said he will give it to his father, who collects them. The one thing that is evident is the Leafs seem to be playing better in front of him, too.
“I think what I see in that is he's trusting his ability and his size and, you know, staying pretty calm and cool in net,” Head Coach Craig Berube said. “That's what I see. You know, his puck play has been good, but overall his mindset is really good.”
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