Craig Berube has twice called to the bullpen for his left-catching goaltender — and it has paid off.

But there was certainly an air of urgency for Cayden Primeau to keep the Maple Leafs in Saturday’s game, with key players injured and trying to nip a three-game losing streak.

Not to mention the general trepidation about Toronto’s goaltending with Anthony Stolarz in need of a rest and Joseph Woll returning, but the team unsure when he’ll play. Dennis Hildeby was summoned from the Marlies to back up Saturday after Berube expressed concern about Stolarz’s seven-game workload this month.

Primeau stopped the first nine Buffalo shots, survived three of four power plays then blocked eight of the last nine, including one in overtime, in a come-from-behind 4-3 win.

“That one felt good,” Primeau said without much prompting.  “It wasn’t pretty, but after a while of not playing (almost two weeks since beating Nashville), you want to see the puck, feel the puck, get moving.”

Berube credited Primeau’s hard work in practice during Stolarz’s run and the two wins so far verify the organizational call to pluck Primeau off waivers from Carolina as the best way to handle Woll’s sudden departure. Just as camp was ending, Woll took personal leave back home to suburban St. Louis, returning on Friday and getting on the ice Saturday.

But there are many miles to cross before Woll and his $3.67 million US salary cap hit are activated off Long Term Injury Reserve. Without much of a camp and with questions about his physical readiness while away so long, he might eventually need a conditioning assignment with the Marlies.

That would be time for Primeau to keep solidifying his relief position, though he only wished Woll the best in his return, not wanting to get ahead of himself. He spent far more time on Montreal’s farm team in Laval than with the Canadiens, where he crossed paths many times with Woll on the latter’s way up through the Toronto Marlies.

After his first Leaf game saw few family members attend because of his sister’s birthday, the Canadian side of his family was watching nervously, including father Wayne, a former Leaf among many teams and uncle Keith, a 1,000-game NHLer.

“With them here and this jersey, it feels good,” Cayden said, also noting the Leafs now had three American-born goalies with Woll’s return.

Primeau might not have to wait long for his next action. After Tuesday’s home game against Calgary, the Leafs play Wednesday in Columbus, with a Boston-Carolina back-to-back in early November.

At the other end, Saturday was another hard luck night for Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen against Toronto. When John Tavares burned him in overtime, the Finn fell to 0-5-2 in his career against the Leafs, facing just 22 shots.

It was to be Sabre newcomer Colten Ellis’s start, the Whycocomagh native becoming the first Nova Scotian goaltender to play in the NHL in more than a decade after winning his debut. But he woke up too ill on Saturday morning.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

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