No one is exactly sure when it happened — it roughly coincides with the moment the Maple Leafs called up goalie Garret Sparks — but the Toronto Marlies’ Antoine Bibeau has turned around his game.

Given the AHL Calder Cup playoffs are just a week away, it couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time for the 21-year-old Bibeau.

“I felt really good lately,” Bibeau said. “I’ve felt really consistent and the last couple of months have gone really well for me. As a team, with all the players back, I think we’re re-grouping.

“We want to play good and be confident going into the playoffs.”

Bibeau turned aside 33 of 34 shots as the Marlies beat the Rochester Americans 3-1 Saturday in the second-last AHL regular-season game. Sparks will be in net Sunday at the Ricoh Coliseum for the season finale against Rochester as the Marlies wait to see who their first-round opponent will be — either Bridgeport or Utica.

Given goaltending is such an important position — magnified in the first round of the AHL playoffs with best-of-five series — Bibeau’s strong finish to the season is a confidence boost.

“I’ve been asked before, and I described his season as inconsistent,” Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I don’t know how long it’s been or how big the sample is, the inconsistency for me is gone. He’s been solid for as long as I can remember.

“He looks really confident. He’s been terrific. I’ve been really happy with him. Full marks with the way he’s really found his game.”

Bibeau’s overall numbers aren’t the greatest. His season-long .909 save percentage pales in comparison’s to Sparks (.925) and his statistics are, at best, middle of the pack in the league.

But, lately, it’s a far different story. Bibeau is 8-1-0 in his last nine games, with two shutouts and a .940 save percentage.

“I’ve worked hard with Piero Greco, the goalie coach here,” Bibeau said. “I got better with my puck handling and my play with the screen. My whole game overall got better this year and I’m playing very confident right now.”

Bibeau had the run of the net when Sparks got the call to the Leafs on Feb. 29.

“I had the chance to play a lot of games after the trade deadline and when you play a lot, you have a good game, you go out the next day, play well and (build) the confidence.”

Sparks, who lost his last five starts in the NHL, makes his first AHL start since Feb. 26 on Sunday.

“You just have to go out there and do the things that make you good,” he said. “Stay true to your game and play like you know how to.”

The Marlies have used eight goalies this year. Alex Stalock, the veteran acquired in the trade for James Reimer, has returned home. Kasimir Kaskisuo, signed out of college as a free agent, has been deemed the third-stringer.

Sparks and Bibeau know the Leafs have only one NHL goalie — Jonathan Bernier — signed for next season and a solid playoff run by one or the other could lead to a regular gig in the NHL. Still, the Marlies’ net seems to be that of a mutual-admiration society.

“It’s a friendship,” Sparks said. “We’re well aware of what’s on the line. But if we compete with each other, and support each other, we’re going to get further together than we will divided.”

All this has left Keefe feeling rather confident about his netminding position.

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“With where Bibeau is at, I feel really good,” Keefe said. “And I’ve never lost sight of the fact that Garret Sparks — when he was in AHL — at one point this season was the best goaltender I had seen in the league.

“He really was giving us a chance every time out. We really like what we have there. We’ll move on to next week and be happy with those two guys.”

NOTES: T.J. Brennan, Matt Frattin and Rinat Valiev were the goal-scorers on Sunday. For Brennan it was his 25th goal, tying him for the team lead with Mark Arcobello . . . The Marlies are 17-1-0-0 when scoring three goals in a game and 38-1-2-0 when taking a lead into the third period.

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