 Jonas Gustavsson will get the start for the Maple Leafs tonight in Anaheim. (Toronto Sun/Craig Robertson) |
ANAHEIM - For a guy nicknamed The Monster, there is not much snarl in Jonas Gustavsson.
This kid is one cool cat, a quality that was on display during the Maple Leafs morning skate at the Honda Center today.
With his team off to its worst start in franchise history at 0-7-1, Gustavsson confirmed this morning what most observers suspected - that he will be the Maple Leaf starter against the Anaheim Ducks tonight (10 p.m., Leafs TV, AM-640).
But if the Swedish goaltender has any nerves heading into just his second NHL start, he wasn't showing any.
"I'm looking forward to it," Gustavsson said. "But this is not just about me. This is a team game.
"I just want to get back in there."
Gustavsson has been out more than two weeks with a groin injury. In his only previous start, he played well in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre.
Meanwhile, as expected, the Ducks called up former Leaf Justin Pogge from Bakersfield to back up starter Jonas Hiller tonight. Pogge was summoned because J-S Giguere is day-to-day with groin issues.
"Toronto was great to me," said Pogge, who was picked early in the third round of the 2004 entry draft by the Maple Leafs. "I'm just glad to be here now.
"I'm getting lots of playing time (in Bakersfield). That's the most important thing."
Pogge was dealt to the Ducks organization over the summer.
Potential Lines
Ducks
Corey Perry-Ryan Getzlaf-Joffrey Lupul
Teemu Selanne-Saku Koivu-Bobby Ryan
Petteri Nokelainen-Todd Marchant-Matt Beleskey
George Parros-Erik Christensen-Mike Brown
Leafs
Jason Blake-Mikhail Grabovski-Alexei Ponikarovsky
Rickard Wallin-John Mitchell-Niklas Hagman
Lee Stempniak-Matt Stajan-Viktor Stalberg
Nikolai Kulemin-Wayne Primeau-Colton Orr