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Enroth off to tough start with Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs v Calgary Flames

CALGARY, AB - NOVEMBER 30: Kris Versteeg #10 of the Calgary Flames shoots the puck past Jhonas Enroth #35 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on November 30, 2016 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs waited a while before settling on a backup goalie for 2016-17. On Aug. 22, they gave Jhonas Enroth a one-year, $750,000 deal to be the No. 2 behind Frederik Andersen.

A quarter of the way through the season, it is not looking like a very good signing. Enroth fell to 0-3-1 with last night’s 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames, who beat him twice in the first minute of the game.

“The first goal I didn’t get to my position and that’s on me,” Enroth said afterwards. “Maybe I was a little bit slow on the pass out. On the second goal it was just a bang-bang play. Not much to do there I think.”

Enroth spent last season with the Los Angeles Kings. He only started 13 games behind workhouse Jonathan Quick, but managed to put up decent numbers, going 7-5-1 with a .922 save percentage.

This season, his save percentage is a lowly .872. And for a bubble team like the Maple Leafs, that’s not something they can afford in their push to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

The good news for the Leafs is that Andersen has been much better since his own tough start. He won eight games in November, finishing with a .931 save percentage for the month. Barring the unexpected, he’ll get the start Saturday in Vancouver.

The Leafs should be a motivated group against the Canucks. Their coach, Mike Babcock, was left fuming after the performance in Calgary.

“As a team, as a coaching staff, as a goaltender we weren’t ready and end up giving up your full day of preparation in the first five minutes or whatever it is,” said Babcock. “There’s no excuse for that.”