It's been a roller coaster of a campaign for Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell.
Prior to January, the busy Campbell was a surefire Vezina Trophy candidate who sat near the top of the league with a .937 save percentage and a 1.94 goals-against average.
The 30-year-old cooled off considerably once the dead of winter set in, recording an .887 save percentage and a 3.49 goals-against average since Jan. 1.
Campbell, who has a reputation for being tough on himself, is doing his best to stay levelheaded.
"For me, it's simple. I mean, I'm the same goalie I was to start the year as far as strategy and talent, things like that. It's just relaxing, having some fun and not beating myself up too much," Campbell told the media Monday, according to TSN. "I'm still working. It's a process, but I have great people in my life, great teammates. I'll snap out of it."
Campbell's most recent speed bump was the Maple Leafs' wild 10-7 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Toronto had a comfortable 7-2 lead entering the third period, but the Red Wings potted four unanswered goals past Campbell in the opening 5:21.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe pulled his No. 1 goaltender in an effort to stop the bleeding.
"Jack had earned all the attention and the accolades that were coming with his play. You have to be prepared for it to come the other way. ... We think there's a good goalie there that will find a level of consistency, and that's what he's continued to work through here now," Keefe said.
He added, "It's a mental block kind of thing going on right now that he's gotta work his way through, but he'll get there."
Campbell emphasized the fact that he's still learning in his first full season as a starting netminder.
"There's going to be a little bit of a tough stretch here and there. You look around, a lot of great goalies have had tough stretches, but it's about how you overcome it," he said. "That's what I'm focused on."
Petr Mrazek will start when the Maple Leafs take on the Washington Capitals on Monday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
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