Though a touch paradoxical, tanking ethically is a real thing in the NHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs tore their roster down to the studs over the course of this season, but that didn't stop the organization, from upper levels of management down throughout the farm system, from learning, working, improving. The season's been about more than just lottery balls.
And it's shown on the ice. The Maple Leafs have made massive gains to their overall structure, schemes, and overall performance, despite who's in or out of the lineup, as their entire rank and file continues to learn, and execute the Mike Babcock possession-friendly brand.
For this reason, and also because of the fact that they aren't guaranteed a generational talent with a last-place showing, the Leafs haven't really been dragged through the mud and accused of doing wrong by the sport.
Of late though, Toronto's been guilty of not putting its best foot forward. And its weakness is not-so accidentally at the most important position on the ice.
Since James Reimer was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, Jonathan Bernier and Garret Sparks have pretty much split duties down the middle and have yielded markedly different results.
| Goalie | Record | GA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernier | 4-5-0 | 19 | 0.931 |
| Sparks | 3-6-1 | 29 | 0.888 |
We're paraphrasing, but Babcock suggested throughout the season that he wanted one of his goalies to take the ball and run. But while Bernier has been sprinting downhill since Reimer's departure, stopping pucks at an .952 rate over the last six games and continuing to balance out his horrific start, he's taken fewer carries.
As they set out to do, Lou Lamoriello and the Leafs have figured out what they have, right now, in Garret Sparks, in his 10 starts since Reimer was shipped away. And that's a minor-league goalie not performing at a level on par with the rest of the team, in turn preventing them from making strides in the standings.
That's OK, really. Even if keeping Bernier planted on the bench may challenge the greater ethical good.
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