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TSN Hockey Analyst

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1) CURTIS MCELHINNEY - A nice pickup by the Leafs after he was deemed expendable in Columbus because of the emergence of Anton Forsberg, who deserved the call up to backup Bobrovsky. Forsberg, 24, is 12-6-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and a shutout in 21 games with the AHL’s Monsters this season. He is fourth in the AHL in save percentage, seventh in goals-against average and eighth in wins and minutes played (1,195),  He led the Monsters to the 2016 AHL Calder Cup after finishing with a 9-0-0 record, 1.34 goals-against average, .949 save percentage and two shutouts in 10 contests. Curtis is a true pro and a solid No. 2 goalie, who knows exactly the demands of the role. He will be asked to spell of Andersen down the stretch as they have multiple back-to-back games. He can earn himself another contract if he stabilizes the position with the Leafs. 

2) BRADEN HOLTBY – Holtby has found his game after a slower start to the season. What has always been impressive about him is his ability to get back into position after initial shot, he resets as well as anyone in the league. The 27-year-old has started to heat up at the right time for the Caps as they look to get ready for the stretch run. He is 5-0-1 in his last seven starts, with a .953 save percentage. If you look at his numbers from last year, they are not far off from where he was at this time – he could push for the Vezina again. 

3) JAKE ALLEN – He has struggled to find consistency this season, after being handed the reins in St. Louis. He is learning to be a starter on the fly, on a team that has giant expectations on the farewell tour of Ken Hitchcock. He is 1-3-0 in his last 5 appearances, posting an 869 save percentage and having been pulled twice. This is a process a young goaltender has to go through, learning how to fight through this type of adversity. When you are the No. 1 guy, the team expects you to dig out of these types of mini slumps quickly. I like Jake as a person and a goalie, and he has tremendous upside to be a No. 1 goaltender in this league, but he has to continue to prove it nightly to the Blues players/organization. 

4) ROBERTO LUONGO - Congrats to Bobby Lou! He continues to get it done as an elite goaltender in the league. Luongo just surpassed Terry Sawchuck in wins, with 448 (449 now with the win last night) for fifth all-time in history of the game. His longevity/durability should never be overlooked along with the skill set, mindset and overall work ethic Roberto brings to the game every day. Outside of the Stanley Cup, he has won at so many levels, his is international resume is outstanding, and he just continues to play top-flight minutes for the Florida Panthers. I'm biased 100 per cent, but I believe he is a Hall of Fame lock!

5) RYAN MILLER - The Vancouver Canucks have been an “all over the map” team this year, but one constant and consistent factor that is kept them in the playoff conversation, is the play of Ryan Miller. Since mid-November, He has been their MVP.  In a season where everyone expected him to hand the reins over to Jacob Markstrom, he has shown with his play that not only he still has game at 36, but that he is their No. 1 until further notice. A 5-0-1 record in his last six games – and .950 save percentage - speaks to how well he is playing.