Scrivens Superb in Leafs’ Net with Back-to-Back Shutouts

Anyone out there who might have been worried about whether Ben Scrivens could carry the load as the main goaltender of the Toronto Maple Leafs can rest easy. The 26-year-old registered his second consecutive scoreless performance Monday night in a 3-0 whitewashing of the Panthers in Florida.

Scrivens hasn’t let a puck hit the back of the goal in the last 144:51 he’s played, a stretch of more than seven periods. It’s fair to say he’s not only arrived, but he’s quickly working himself into a situation where he is now as worthy of being thought of as a No. 1 goaltender as James Reimer, who is sidelined with a knee strain.

It’s a great story. Scrivens was named a first-team All-American and ECAC Goaltender of the Year during his senior season at Cornell University. He was even a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award. Yet he went undrafted.

Despite the pro snub, Scrivens pressed on: the native of Spruce Grove, Alberta signed a free-agent contract with the Maple Leafs and began his pro career with their ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, in the 2010-11 season. He won 10 of 13 starts in Reading, went to the ECHL All-Star Classic and was called up twice by the Marlies because of injuries.

Even his first game in the NHL showed the quality he could provide. On November 3, 2011, he stopped 38 shots as the Leafs beat Columbus 4-1. Last Saturday, he faced 34 shots from the short-handed Ottawa Senators and shut them out 3-0. It was more of the same on Monday as Florida peppered the Toronto net with 37 shots but Scrivens once again denied the opposition.

The Leafs will get a better sense of how much longer Scrivens can maintain his perfection as they play four of their next six games away from the Air Canada Centre, including two back-to-back contests. Their current road jaunt is already historic as they’ve won seven of nine, which they haven’t done since the 1940-41 season. It’s not known whether Reimer will return before the end February: if he can’t, Jussi Rynnas (8-7-1, 2.54 GAA) will be the backup netminder.

If Reimer has to be out for longer than expected, then Scrivens has shown that he can keep Toronto in games even when they are outshot, as they were against the Senators and the Panthers. With six games in the next 10 days, though, they should be careful to not use him too much. After all, nothing (and no one) lasts forever.