Gustavsson could start on Saturday

TORONTO -- Jonas Gustavsson had barely finished his first full practice in more than two weeks when the media crowd formed around the dressing-room stall of the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender.

They wanted to know about the status of his injured groin. They wanted to know when he might be healthy to play. And, most importantly, they wanted to know if the 24-year-old rookie was capable of rescuing this winless team from a seven-game losing streak.

As he tried to answer question after question, it was not just reporters and cameramen and reporters listening to his every word.

Defenceman Luke Schenn, whose dressing room stall is next to Gustavsson’s, craned his neck in an attempt to hear the goaltender. Another defenceman, Garnet Exelby, stopped to eavesdrop on his way to the showers.

And what they heard gave reason for hope.

Gustavsson, who practised pain-free Thursday, believes there is slim chance he could play against the Vancouver Canucks Saturday. The concern is that he has been off skates for so long. But if needed, he would gladly rush back into the lineup to help turnaround the 0-6-1 Leafs.

“It’s hard to say. I think I need a couple more practices,” Gustavsson said. “But if your coach wants you to play, you always have to be ready. That’s why you play hockey at this level. You can’t say no to something like that.”

That the Leafs would be so dependent on a rookie, whose NHL experience is limited to just five periods, speaks volumes about the team’s goaltending alternatives.

Vesa Toskala, who is day-to-day with a knee injury, has an .812 save percentage. Third-stringer Joey MacDonald, who is expected to get his third consecutive start Saturday if Gustavsson is not ready, has allowed eight goals in his last two games.

“We’re down to our third goalie and we haven’t had the kind of goaltending that we need to get out of [the] prolonged slump that we’re in right now,” head coach Ron Wilson said on The Fan 590 morning radio show before practice.

“Hopefully by the weekend we’ll have both Jonas and Vesa [Toskala] ready to play. I think Jonas is a little bit closer and I’ve got my fingers crossed that he might be able to play in Vancouver although, more than likel, his first start since his injury will be in Anaheim [on Monday].”

Gustavsson does not believe he is necessarily the season-saving saviour, even if the team desperately needs him to be.

The Swedish netminder understands his success will also depend on how well his teammates play in front of him. He allowed three goals after relieving Toskala at the start of the second period against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 3. And in his first and only start, he stopped 26 of 28 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

“We count on everybody on this team,” he said. “It’s not up to one person. We’re going to win games as a team, not as individuals. I think last game [a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers] was a big step forward for us. I think we played good and if we can play like that and improve some other things, I think we’ll have good success.”

For the Leafs’ offence, which has scored just 14 goals in seven games this season, supporting Gustavsson or MacDonald on Saturday will not come easy.

Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo has given up five goals in his last three starts. And, as a team, Vancouver’s defence has allowed just 25.3 shots-against per game.

“Of course, I know that Luongo is a good goalie and one of the best,” Gustavsson said. “But I don’t think about that when I go out and play. I just think about stopping the puck, not who is in the other net and who I play against.”