Toronto Maple Leafs turn to emergency backup goalie late in game
Early Saturday afternoon, it was announced that the Leafs would surprisingly only dress a single roster goalie, Ilya Samsonov, and therefore necessitating an emergency backup. Jett Alexander, a student of the University of Toronto, was called upon to serve as the backup.
The Leafs proceeded to dominate the Montreal Canadiens, and while holding onto a 7-1 lead in the late moments of the third period, coach Sheldon Keefe made the surprising decision to put Alexander in net, letting the university student play the final minute of the game.
It's a nice gesture to a kid who will likely never again see an opportunity to play NHL minutes, and from post game comments, likely came as a player's suggestion. When asked about whose decision it was to put Alexander in, Keefe wryly alluded it was the players.
It's an identical situation to what the Edmonton Oilers did this season. When up by multiple goals, the players insisted to play their emergency backup goalie. It's a nice gesture from the teams and players who decide to play these young goalies with no experience, but perhaps to the other team, is almost disrespectful.
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