Bobrovsky confident he and the Leafs can ride out the storm of their slow start

Despite a lifetime of getting in the way of vulcanized rubber, count Sergei Bobrovsky among the many who still struggle to comprehend what exactly constitutes goaltender interference in today’s National Hockey League.

The Toronto Maple Leafs netminder has now lost three consecutive starts after Tuesday’s 3-2 home loss to the Utah Mammoth. He seemed to have a more-than-credible case for being interfered with after being bumped by Barrett Hayton right before Andrew Peeke’s go-ahead goal in the second period.

The call on the ice stood, and the Russian’s quest to get back into the win column ultimately failed when teammate Darren Raddysh took an ill-advised penalty for cross-checking and Utah’s special teams cashed in the winner.

“There is lots of grey area,” he said Wednesday when asked about the ruling. “In that particular moment, I couldn’t do my job. I couldn’t stop the puck. So there is lots of questions. I do feel it’s not as clear. Sometimes you feel that you’ve been interfered, but [it’s] still a goal. Sometimes it’s opposite. So my answer is I’m not sure.”

With a pair of Stanley Cup titles and two Vezina Trophies to his name, there is far less uncertainty around Bobrovsky’s Hall of Fame credentials.

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Whenever he manages to break that losing skid – perhaps this weekend with the Leafs hosting a back-to-back against the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils – he will break a tie with former New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist and move into sole possession of sixth place on the career wins list with No. 460.

The 38-year-old has endured a tough start to his Toronto tenure, going 3-6-2 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .889 save percentage. By both the numbers and the eye test, he’s been outplayed by his backup Anthony Stolarz, with the 32-year-old going 5-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .910 save percentage.

But Tuesday’s outing, which saw him turn away 33 of 36 Utah shots, hinted at brighter days to come, an outcome Toronto general manager John Chayka surely envisioned when he handed the former Florida Panther a three-year, US$21-million deal this off-season. Certainly, October has been his worst month statistically over his 17-year NHL career.

That outing also earned him a day off from practice Wednesday, but not a day off from his exacting preparation routine.

“He might have took a day off of the ice, but yeah, trust me, he’s not taking a day off,” said head coach Jim Hiller. “He’s going through his full routine. But we don’t need him after playing a game to come back and stop pucks for 35 minutes. No, he can regenerate during that time.”

That regeneration involved “lots of cardio, work with the biomechanics and that stuff,” Bobrovsky explained, as he looked to relax and get himself mentally prepared for the next start.

While he wouldn’t take any questions on Russia’s renewed relationship with international hockey – he has represented his home country at every level, including the Sochi Olympics 12 years ago – he was more than happy to expand on his rapport with Stolarz.

The pair have this season rekindled the goaltending partnership which backstopped the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history two years ago.

“We keep building our relationship,” he said. “We’re going to continue to build. I think it’s so important for the team and so important for both of us because [only] each of us knows what we’re dealing with going into the game when we play and that support is so important.”

Stolarz outplaying Bobrovsky in net isn’t much of a conversation in Leaf-land

Despite the lack of on-ice success so far, it’s no stretch to say that there is still something of an aura around the Leafs dressing room when it comes to Bobrovsky. Part of that is the hardware, and part of that may well be the personal success he has enjoyed at Toronto’s expense come the spring. He has gone 8-4 with a .922 save percentage in two playoff series wins against a Toronto team featuring many on this current roster.

It’s not just the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares – who all played in those post-season battles – who still doff the cap to him. That aura extends to some of the players who were still in junior hockey the last time Bobrovsky was hoisting the Stanley Cup.

“It’s pretty cool being able to be on his team,” Easton Cowan said. “I know he’s a goalie, but just to learn from him, I mean, you guys see how good he is on the ice, but off the ice, unbelievable guy, goes about his business and I feel like he has such a positive voice in this room. When you hear him talk, it’s like, all right, let’s everyone listen.”

As for the team’s early-season struggles and its 8-7-2 record, Bobrovsky is not the sort to worry. With a level of preparation that teammate Zack MacEwen describes as “meticulous,” he’s ready to play the long game over the winter.

And with Tavares working his way back from a lower-body injury with a possible return Saturday against the Canadiens, Toronto can start to resemble something approaching full strength.

“We get [sic] all the ingredients,” Bobrovsky said. “We just have to build the system, build the trust and focus on each and every moment, just one moment at a time, and trying to build the wave and continue to ride the wave.”