Maple Leafs goalie Sergei Bobrovsky bounces back in loss to Mammoth

TORONTO — Sergei Bobrovsky has experienced some tough nights this season.

The two-time Stanley Cup winner had surrendered three goals or more in nine of his first 10 starts since joining the Maple Leafs’ crease in free agency entering Tuesday.

The stat line looked similar following another defeat. The performance, however, was much closer to vintage for the veteran netminder.

Bobrovsky stopped 33 of the 36 shots he faced — including some huge early saves with his teammates sitting in second gear coming off a West Coast road trip — in Toronto’s 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth.

“They pounded pucks on our net for the first two periods,” said Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who finished with two assists. “He competes each and every night. I don’t think any guy in this locker room has any concern for him. He’s a true professional. He comes to the rink ready to play.

“He’s the hardest worker.”

Bobrovsky, who signed a contract on July 1 worth US$21 million over the next three seasons, entered play with a surprising 3-5-2 record, .885 save percentage and 3.29 goals-against average.

A two-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender, the 38-year-old bounced back against Utah after giving up five goals and making just 12 saves in last Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken.

“I try to focus on the next shot — that’s it,” Bobrovsky, who won back-to-back titles with the Florida Panthers in 2024 and 2025, said of his process to reset. “I don’t think much about what happened in the past or what’s going to happen in the future. Just one shot at a time and try to give the best chance for my team to win.”

Anthony Stolarz, meanwhile, has better numbers than Bobrovsky — a 5-1-0 record, .910 save percentage and 2.66 GAA — as Toronto continues to work through a scheduled plan to deploy its netminders.

“I just follow the recommendations,” Bobrovsky said when asked if he has input on the rotation. “We have great people in the organization.”

The Maple Leafs and their fans inside Scotiabank Arena weren’t pleased when Utah’s goal that made it 2-1 in Tuesday’s second period counted despite Mammoth centre Barrett Hayton contacting Bobrovsky’s skate outside the blue paint.

The on-ice officials ruled the sequence a good goal. Toronto could have challenged, but head coach Jim Hiller said the club’s internal data suggested success would have been unlikely.

“What I hoped would have been an interference call by the referee,” Hiller said. “Bobrovsky was (out of the crease), but he got wiped right out. The rule, it’s tricky to interpret. It really is. We’ve seen a lot of these.”

Bobrovsky largely declined to wade into that post-game talking point.

“I am not in a position to judge the other guy’s job,” he said. “I just stick to the next shot. All I’ll say is it’s unfortunate … the circumstances are the circumstances.”

Bobrovsky’s circumstances since the summer have also seen him go from the tepid South Florida market to one of hockey’s hotbeds, where the game is dissected and consumed at a different level.

“It’s exciting,” he said of the transition north. “You feel part of something big. Hockey is big. Everybody loves hockey. I love this responsibility.”

Similar to his players, Hiller has no concerns about Bobrovsky.

“The ultimate pro and dialed right into his game,” he said. “Has a lot of self confidence and self belief, as he should. One of the greatest goalies ever to play in the league. He just carries on and does his business.

“I’m not surprised at all that he just was out there giving us a chance.”

SLOW START

The Maple Leafs had a tough time getting their legs going coming off Saturday’s 4-2 victory in Vancouver over the Canucks.

“There’s no excuses,” Matthews said. “It doesn’t matter with the schedule, the travel, the time change and all that. You gotta come ready to play, regardless. You’re not gonna have your legs every single night, but just try to find a way to compete and grind through. Unfortunately, it took half the game, but I thought we found it.

“We started competing and found some life.”

COSTLY MISTAKE

Jack Roslovic’s second goal of the game tied things 2-2 midway through the third period before an undisciplined penalty by Toronto defenceman Darren Raddysh led to Nick Schmaltz’s winner as the NHL’s top-ranked power play connected for a second time against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

“Stupid penalty,” Hiller said. “Let’s call it what it is, and it costs us. Thought we had all the momentum … didn’t turn out very well for us.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2026.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press