Andersen aims for better outing in home debut; Leafs No. 1 gave up 5 in opener
TORONTO — A half-hour before practice on Friday morning Frederik Andersen took the ice at the Maple Leafs practice facility for a little extra work.
Toronto’s new No. 1 goaltender is trying to get on track after a bumpy start to his early Leafs tenure. The 27-year-old gave up five goals in his debut for the club on Wednesday night, the effort following a rough (and short) pre-season compounded by injury.
Andersen hopes to show much better when he makes his first start in front of the hometown crowd against Boston on Saturday evening.
The Leafs are counting on him to solidify their crease. The club signed him for five years and US$25 million following a summer trade from Anaheim and have professed their faith in his abilities amid very early stumbles this fall.