The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending has been an enigma for the last several seasons.
They would have a goaltender play well and then struggle. They would then have another goaltender play look great and then get hurt.
If the Leafs want to have any chance of going far in the Stanley Cup playoffs and winning it all for the first time since 1967, they are going to need consistent goaltending all year long. Through his first two starts, goaltender Anthony Stolarz is showing that he should be the guy providing wins, being healthy, and getting the job done on a nightly basis.
The Leafs signed Stolarz, 30, to a two-year, $5 million deal on July 1 after the Vegas Golden Knights signed former Leafs’ goaltender goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $1.8 million deal. So far, at least, the deal is looking great for the Leafs.
The deal looks great right now because the goaltender who was supposed to be their starter, Joseph Woll, 26, has a lower-body injury. Leafs head coach Craig Berube said there is no timeline for his return.
It also looks good because Stolarz has been dynamite between the pipes for his hockey club in his first two starts. He is 1-1 with a 1.54 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage.
Stolarz has stopped 47 of 50 shots. It should also be noted that two out of three goals he has allowed have been on the opposition’s power play.
There are several reasons why Stolarz is off to a strong start. For starters, he is a really good goaltender.
Stolarz was excellent for the Florida Panthers last season. He went 16-7-0-2 with a 2.03 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage, and two shutouts.
He makes the big saves when he needs to, he is not flashy, he does not get caught out of position, he controls his rebounds, and knows how to help his defensemen as he is a solid puck handler. When you put all of these things together, it makes for a solid goaltender.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was a big supporter of Stolarz’s last season. In speaking to reporters after a game against the Ottawa Senators at the end of the regular season, Maurice spoke about just how good Stolarz had been for their hockey club.
“[Stolarz’s value] is immeasurable because, beyond the numbers, which are League-leading in some departments, he has also been in a really important relationship guy with Sergei,” coach Paul Maurice said.
Secondly, he is a consistent goaltender in general, which is important to the Leafs because they have not had consistent goaltending in quite some time. Just look at the numbers he has posted below as a backup goaltender:
- 2019-20 (Anaheim Ducks): 0-1 with a 2.04 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage
- 2020-21 (Anaheim Ducks): 4-3 with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .926 save percentage, and one shutout
- 2021-22 (Anaheim Ducks): 12-8-0-3 with a 2.67 goals-against average, .917 save percentage, and three shutouts
- 2022-23 (Anaheim Duck): 5-6 with a 3.73 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage
- 2023-24 (Florida Panthers): 16-7-0-2 with a 2.03 goals-against average, .925 save percentage, and two shutouts
As you can tell from the above, those are the numbers from a consistent and reliable goaltender. For his career, Stolarz is 44-32-0-9 with a 2.67 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, and eight shutouts, numbers that also show just how steady Stolarz is.
Lastly, Stolarz is playing with a lot of confidence. He is coming off a season in which he played a key part in helping the Panthers win their first Cup in franchise history and he is now getting to show that maybe he deserves to be a starting goaltender even when Woll returns.
When he signed his deal in the offseason, Stolarz spoke to reporters about simply wanting to do his job when he gets the chance.
“Only one of us can play and you want to get as many starts as you can,” Stolarz said. “When my name is called, I want to go in there and kind of seize the opportunity but at the same time too, when I’m not, I pride myself on being a good teammate. I’m going to support Woll and push him throughout the year.”
Thus far, Stolarz is more than seizing the opportunity because, at some point, he may have seized the whole net for the Leafs.
ITR 31: Let Them Fight – Inside The Rink
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