Babcock rips Andersen after goalie makes worrisome comments ahead of postseason

The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to make the most of the last stretch ahead of the postseason, however, things haven't gone all that great for star goalie Frederik Andersen.

The star netminder is on pace to hit 60 starts for the third consecutive season and many fans believe it might be time to rest him a bit ahead of the playoff run. No matter what happens, it seems more and more likely that the Maple Leafs will start the postseason on the road and they will need the best out of their goaltender.

Andersen noted to TSN's Frank Seravelli that he's felt better at this stage in previous seasons but doesn't want to compare it to his past because he did miss some time with injury this year. However, it sure sounds like the man himself would like some rest, which could worry fans on how well he is ahead of the playoffs.

#Leafs’ Frederik Andersen says he needs to find some swagger over these last games, calls it his “preseason.” He admits he’s been “banged up” this year and has felt better in previous years playing more games.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 27, 2019

While head coach Mike Babcock might agree that it is a nice idea to rest Andersen in the last stretch of the regular season calendar, he also had quite the stern answer when it came to responding to his goalie's comments.

“He’s not 12, he’s a man. That’s why we have a goalie coach. We talked to him about it.”

Babcock on Andersen’s workload: “He’s not 12, he’s a man. That’s why we have a goalie coach. We talked to him about it.”
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 27, 2019

Babcock says he's spoke with Andersen about how much he'd like to play with only six games left in the season. While neither specified an exact number, both men are quite aware of the importance of being well rested ahead of the postseason.

Tough love from Babs, but let's see how many Anderson gets off to get him prepared for the playoffs.