Monstrous game from Maple Leafs' Dennis Hildeby blanks Bolts

The ‘Hildebeast’ is fast becoming an Abominable Snowman for foes of the Maple Leafs this December.

Dennis Hildeby already had a save percentage of .927 with just one regulation win and two overtime losses among his eight games this season, before finally getting the required support of his team on Monday night in his first NHL shutout.

Our takeaways on Hildeby and the 2-0 Toronto win against the very good Tampa Bay Lightning, who were tied for the division lead, but for now are among five teams split by three points:

From a five-game losing streak last month, Leafs have points in five straight.

THE QUIET ONE

We asked before this game to compare Hildeby’s vocals to Anthony Stolarz, and alternate captain John Tavares just laughed.

“The complete opposite,” Tavares said of the silent Swede.

After a win, the 6-foot-7 Hildeby seems just as reserved as in a loss, but did reveal the 29-save shutout puck is on his way to his father Tomas in Jarfalla, Sweden.

“He collects them all,” Hildeby assured, and added his father would have stayed up with the six-hour time difference to tune in. “My mom, my brother my relatives, they all watch every single game.

“I’m just trying to enjoy this. It’s easier said than done, but at the end of the day, it’s what I’ve been dreaming of since I started playing hockey. You have to remind yourself of that.”

Monday saw him stare down the best of the Bolts, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel four times each and Nikita Kucherov once.

He started this season on the Marlies while Stolarz had the car keys and Cayden Primeau backed up. Joseph Woll returned from a month of personal leave and was great, before joining Stolarz on IR.

“When opportunity comes around, you want him to seize it,” Tavares said. “He’s a quiet, easy-going dude who is obviously good in net. We have to keep doing a better job in front of him.”

That hasn’t been the case in all his games, which included some relief appearances when Stolarz and Woll were hurt or struggling. On Monday, the Leafs did keep the Lightning away from most rebounds and odd-man rushes. Defenceman Troy Stecher knocked a bouncing puck off the goal line that had beaten Hildeby, while countryman Calle Jarnkrok flubbed an empty netter when Tampa went on a 6-on-5, before the visitors struck a post.

Woll could be ready by Saturday’s game against Edmonton as he recovers from a lower body injury, but if Hildeby does well again versus the Sharks on Thursday, it could be him facing Connor McDavid.

PACK ‘EM IN

As mentioned, the division is like a compressed accordion, thanks to the Lightning losing four straight and four of the Original Six — Boston, Montreal, Detroit and Toronto — all creeping up. Florida and Ottawa aren’t far behind, while the Habs and Bolts play for the division lead Tuesday at the Bell Centre. Detroit’s win in Vancouver on Monday, gave it top spot for now.

“It’s as tight as I’ve seen the East and the Atlantic in my (10 years),” defenceman Jake McCabe said. “Nights like this are four-point swings. So this was big for us.”

In tandem with the work of Woll and Hildeby, Toronto has allowed two or less in its past six outings.

“I thought we were poised all night and defended the middle of the ice well,” McCabe said of Monday. “It’s a bit more of a commitment to owning the middle, to back pressure. Early in the season, we were giving a lot up which put stress on our defence and goaltending.”

The winning goal Monday was by a defenceman, Morgan Rielly’s fifth of the year.

“We’re finding our game a bit,” McCabe added. “But we can’t get complacent.”

That letdown came even with the injured Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo in the lineup, though the Leafs could welcome back Tanev by the weekend. Stecher has been a godsend on waivers and Dakota Mermis was having another strong game Monday before a knee-on-knee hit that saw Gage Goncalves kicked out.

More will be known about Mermis on Wednesday, while Bobby McMann was ejected for a high stick in the scrum that resulted, which included a fight between Toronto’s Dakota Joshua and Max Crozier.

JUGGLING CONTINUES

Leaf coach Craig Berube scratched winger Nick Robertson, whose drop in ice time and production could be linked to his demotion when Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies came back from injury.

Berube wanted Calle Jarnkrok back for penalty killing insurance, but the Leafs “checked with our feet” to the coach’s satisfaction and thus took only one minor, that one a questionable trip by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Toronto killed it easily.

Jarnkrok could’ve helped his cause further by burying a free slot chance that Jonas Johansson gloved and later burying an empty net chance he flubbed.

Philippe Myers could come back in if Mermis can’t go Thursday, but Tanev is near activation from an upper body injury pending a check-up on Wednesday. Marshall Rifai, who had a great training camp, is nearly recovered from wrist surgery.

They will present some pleasant roster decisions for Berube and general manager Brad Treliving.

lhornby@postmedia.com

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