For weeks, Michael Hutchinson has sat and waited patiently for his chance to get back between the pipes so that he might get the opportunity to rid himself of the monkey on his back and pick up his first win of the season.
On Thursday, he got his wish, as head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that the 29-year-old would get the start against Detroit on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto.
The caveat, though, was that his start would be in the 2nd of back-to-back games, as the Leafs played the New York Rangers on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Though the Maple Leafs have not had any success to speak of in back-to-back situations this season, it was still a great opportunity for Hutchinson to get this start in front of the home crowd against a struggling Red Wings team and Hutch did not disappoint.
Early in the game, Wings forward Dylan Larkin was gifted with a breakaway, coming in on a cold Hutchinson, beating him clean under the pad, but meeting iron instead of twine. Thankfully, Hutch would settle in following that play and make 29 saves en route to a 4-1 Leafs victory, in what would be Hutchinson's first win since January 10th, 2019.
"That was a special moment. Obviously I haven't been getting the results this year so it was nice to put a win in the column and hear the fans support you," said Hutchinson.
Prior to Saturday's big win, Hutch carried a 0-5-1 record on the season, with an abysmal 4.55 goals-against average and a less than ideal .876 save percentage in his previous six starts.
"I've been on the bench watching Freddy make big saves, I tried not to over think things," said Hutchinson. "I feel like I'm in a good head space right now, feeling relaxed."
The win could not have come at a better time for the struggling backup, as it put the Leafs back in contention for a playoff spot and improved the Leafs' record under Sheldon Keefe to 10-4-0.
If the Buds can continue at this pace, they're in line for a 106-point season, flirting with home ice advantage in the first round, depending on how the rest of the Atlantic Division stacks up.
The Leafs will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday afternoon, just prior to the Christmas break, before heading to New Jersey to take on the Devils at the Prudential Center on December 27th.
Source: Sportsnet
