Much has been made about the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending situation thus far. It seems as if we can’t go a single back-to-back without falling into an argument on Twitter — the kind which universally take the form of backhanded slaps directed at Mike Babcock.
So, here’s the sitch: having worked in an NHL office, I’m going to give you a behind the scenes look into what gets looked at when deciding goalie usage — including a study I conducted, who has a say, who makes the final call, and the arguments for each.
When you have a clear number one in Frederik Andersen, you know he’s getting at least 50 of his team’s games — and one of every back to back situation. That part is easy. The debate arises when you have games that aren’t part of a back-to-back situation. In that case, when do you give your workhorse the night off?
When facing a back-to-back, though, the dilemma gets a whole lot tougher. Which game does the starter get? OR, to take it a step further, does he play both?
Here are some facts: Andersen hasn’t played both games of a back to back …

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Author: Rachel Doerrie / The Leafs Nation