What, us worry?

Never mind what the stats say: the kids are still alright.

Matt Frattin hasn’t scored his first NHL goal and Jake Gardiner has been a healthy scratch the past two games, yet neither youngster is close to pressing the panic button. The fact that the Maple Leafs are 3-0-1 certainly makes it a lot easier. As long as the team is going well, there isn’t as much heat on the individuals.

Both rookies were the talk of pre-season in Toronto. In fact, each player had five points in exhibition action and nobody was surprised. Both players have a significant offensive upside and yet they have donuts across the board.

Frattin has no points and nine shots on goal in four games while Gardiner, who played in the first two games and was then replaced by veteran Cody Franson for no reason other than the Leafs have too many NHL calibre defencemen, has no points and two shots on goal.

"It’s more numbers than his play," Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson said of Gardiner. "We just tell him to work hard in practice and stay focused and when you go in, don’t change anything about what you have done. You didn’t do anything that resulted in you coming out of the lineup so just keep playing the same way."

Wilson mentioned following practice Tuesday there could be lineup changes, but he would not get specific as to who would come out of the lineup and who might go in.

Gardiner, for his part, said he thought he might be back in the lineup Wednesday when the Winnipeg Jets are in town, but wasn’t sure yet.

"I kind of expected it to happen," Gardiner said. "I try to stay positive and try to get back in the lineup. Being a young guy, it’s understandable. It happens to just about everybody in their career. It’s not too big of a deal."

Gardiner’s bread and butter is his offensive play. Having scored 41 points in 41 games with the University of Wisconsin last season, many expected him to start the year in the AHL with the Marlies, but he played his way onto the team. Gardiner said when he’s put back into the lineup his game will not be altered.

"Hopefully you’ll see the same Jake Gardiner that you saw in the pre-season," he said. "That’s the way I play the game. I’m not going to change my game. I have to play with confidence, that’s the biggest thing. If you don’t have confidence, you don’t have anything."

As for Frattin, he was rewarded in the third period of Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche when he was bumped up a line to play a bit with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin.

He had been skating with Colby Armstrong and Matthew Lombardi. Wilson said he will continue to do that with Frattin as a reward for his solid play.

Although that first NHL goal continues to elude him, Frattin has had some great chances to score, including hitting the post three times. On Saturday night against the Calgary Flames he got the puck while he was skating off for a line change, turned and fired a long shot that hit the post dead-on.

"Yeah, I’m not trying to count them, but it’s been three," Frattin said with a laugh. "On that play we just had a really good shift and as I was leaving to go off I saw a couple of guys in front of the net setting a screen in the middle. I tried to put it in on the far side. I spun and shot and put everything I had into it.

I caught the puck right. I had a pretty good view and thought it was going to go in. It was kind of a knuckler and it curved a bit."

Frattin said he is not the least bit frustrated at not having scored yet.

"Every game I’m getting golden opportunities," Frattin said. "In the last game Army hit me back door and I didn’t see it until the last second and it went off my toe. I’m still getting my opportunities. I’ve just got to start executing better. I definitely feel comfortable out there. With every game my comfort level grows. It’s a long year and we’ve only played four games."

Wilson has been very impressed with Frattin, who was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award last season and played one game with the Maple Leafs. Like Gardiner, Frattin was a cut above all the others at rookie camp and continued his high level of play through the pre-season.

"I think he has been fine," Wilson said. "He has hit the post a number of times and has really had a number of scoring chances. Next to Phil (Kesel), he’s probably had the most on our team, so it’s just a matter of time for him. We just tell him to not get frustrated."

Monster in wait

The Monster is patiently waiting for his turn.

Toronto’s backup goalie to James Reimer has yet to see action in the regular season, but with the Maple Leafs playing at home Wednesday and then heading out on the road for four games in seven days, Jonas Gustavsson will be back between the pipes soon.

"He will play one of those games," said Wilson.

In fact, it could be Wednesday at home when Toronto hosts the Winnipeg Jets. That would give Reimer the night off to get ready to face the Stanley Cup champion Bruins in Boston the following night.

Sitting is never easy, but Gustavsson understands the situation.

"Reims is playing well and so is our defence and our guys have scored some goals so, of course, it’s good for all of us," Gustavsson said. "I just try to focus on myself and my own game and try to be ready for the next time I get a chance to play. Of course I’m excited to get in. It’s what you want to do, you want to play.

"Until then I’m just trying to be patient and work hard and I’m trying to be hard to score on in practice."

Gustavsson said he takes things day-by-day and doesn’t dwell on not playing.

"I try to not think about when I might play," he said. "I just go out in practice and do my best. It’s the coaching staff’s call and we have a couple of games coming up now.

"Even in the first few games, though, I was ready to play. You never know when something is going to happen. I’m not going to change my routine in the next couple of days. I’ll do what I always do and try to be ready."

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy will cover the Toronto Maple Leafs for sportsnet.ca for the 2011/12 season.