""He's been around the fellas a lot this year with injuries and is just getting a little more comfortable," McCabe said of Hildeby. "He's great with the puck too, that's one big thing I find with goaltending is when they get more comfortable, you can see it with their puck play too and just adding another layer of confidence for him, he's been rock solid.""
""I think it's just a bit more of a commitment to winning the middle of the ice and back pressure in our gaps," McCabe said. "Early on in the season I felt like we were giving up way too many odd-man rushes, which put a lot of stress on us defence and goaltending and put us behind the eight-ball a lot of nights.""
Dennis Hildeby, 24, earned his first NHL shutout with 29 saves in a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning while Toronto was outshot. Hildeby moved into the starting role due to injuries to Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll and has delivered consecutive strong performances. Jake McCabe praised Hildeby's puck play and growing comfort around teammates, citing increased confidence. The Maple Leafs have allowed no more than two goals in their past five games, producing four wins and closing to one point behind the Montreal Canadiens for third in the Atlantic Division. Toronto hosts the San Jose Sharks next.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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