Spector on Leafs: Where to go from here?

First, there was Jonas Gustavsson — The Monster — who came to us with the proviso that he was “the best goaltender outside the National Hockey League.”

Turns out, he was. In the same way that Fabian Brunnstrom was “the best player outside the NHL” when Toronto was courting him. Today Brunnstrom, who signed in Dallas, is on Detroit’s farm in Grand Rapids.

Gustavsson has stayed in the league, but he’s nowhere near the franchise goalie Toronto hoped he could be.

Then arrived James Reimer, from nowhere, really. A fourth-round draft pick from Morweena, Man. The way he played in the second half of last season, Leafs Nation assessed, he’d give Toronto more than enough in goal to make the playoffs in 2011-12.

So general manager Brian Burke signed Reimer to a modest three-year deal, only to watch him slump to a 60th-ranked save percentage in the NHL this season.

Reimer’s game remains inconsistent, leaving Burke to wonder if he has enough goaltending to reach the playoffs. Never mind beating anyone once the Leafs get there.

Where does he go with his goaltending?

“I don’t know,” Burke told sportsnet.ca Wednesday. “It’s a fair question.”

The Maple Leafs will investigate the goaltending market, though we do not see them making a major deadline trade to bring in a Jonathan Bernier, Cory Schneider (who’s not available) or Ben Bishop. (Remember the last time Toronto was this desperate to shore up its goaltending? The Leafs gave up Tuukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft, a trade they’re still suffering from.)

The fact Toronto is looking, however, denotes a setback in Burke’s plan. He, like most everyone, thought Reimer was the answer. He is not — at least not yet — while Gustavsson likely will never be.

“The goals that went in last night, I didn’t like. Especially the winning goal,” Burke said, assessing Gustavsson’s work versus New Jersey. “But, this is a guy, Jonas Gustavsson, who has saved our season. The only reason we are in a playoff spot, or even in the hunt, is because of Jonas Gustavsson.

“When Reimer got hurt he stepped in and played some great games. When Reimer stumbled, he did the same thing. This guy has saved our ass, there’s no question about it.”

Loyalty has always been Burke’s strong suit. But as he told us Wednesday, he doesn’t just want to make a playoff appearance.

“I want a parade.”

Can this up and down pairing bring a Cup parade to Toronto?

“We have not delivered consistent goaltending here,” Burke said of his tandem. “Where do we go from here? That I’m not sure of.”

Yes, no plan in hockey is more fluid than goaltending plans. And that is not exclusive to Toronto.

Washington landed Tomas Vokoun in the off-season, and he has been one of those “just good enough to get you beat” goaltenders thus far in D.C. He was pulled for the second straight game Wednesday night, and the Capitals are on the verge of a disaster.

Philadelphia laid the grand daddy of goalie eggs in the summer, signing Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51-million deal. Today, the Flyers goals against ranks 27th in the NHL, and Bryzgalov continues to allow a litany of softies for Philly this season.

“Stupid ridiculous mistakes,” he said Wednesday in Edmonton. “Like goal last night (whiffing on an Evander Kane shot). Like second goal against Pittsburgh (Matt Cooke shorthanded, on a Flyers 5-on-3). Goals that should never go in. Makes it harder to bring the save percentage and goals against down.

“It is what it is,” reasoned Bryzgalov. “I think there are 23 games left. Plenty of time to fix it.”

Toronto and Calgary both have 65 points. The Maple Leafs are 8th in the East; Calgary is one point back of eighth place Los Angeles in the West.

The biggest difference? With Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary is firm in the knowledge that — if they play well — they will get points. And if they get into the playoffs, Holy Halak! They’ll have a puncher’s chance.

The way the Leafs goaltending has gone, Toronto can play well and come away empty-handed. Whatever comfort is derived from having Kiprusoff in Calgary, the opposite is true in Toronto.

This is a leak that was not supposed to spring. Now that it has however, it may be too expensive for Burke to repair at the deadline.