The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have a goalie controversy, no less than not on the primary beginning place. It’s Anthony Stolarz.
Stolarz signed a two-year contract for $5 million – a $2.5 million wage cap hit – with the Maple Leafs within the offseason. He was presupposed to be the backup to Joseph Woll, who signed a three-year, $10.98 million deal – $3.66 million wage cap hit.
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Nevertheless, Woll’s damage issues, an issue final season, crept up once more to start out the 2024-25 season. Bear in mind, final 12 months, Woll didn’t play Recreation 7 towards the Boston Bruins in Spherical 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ilya Samsonov, now with the Vegas Golden Knights, began the sport.
Woll was presupposed to be prepared for opening night time towards the Montreal Canadiens however was not; thus, Anthony Stolarz turned the starter. He’s taking part in nicely for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For a few years, the Maple Leafs struggled with goaltending and protection. That has modified lately. Thus far this season with Stolarz, the place appears solidified.
Everybody needs to speak about what Stolarz did with the Florida Panthers final season when he was the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky successful a Stanley Cup. Stolarz had 2.03 targets towards common and a .925 save proportion. These had been among the many greatest for NHL goalies, as he performed in 27 video games.
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These numbers mustn’t shock those that have adopted Stolarz since his days with the Philadelphia Flyers. Stolarz put up strong numbers as a backup goalie, particularly in his first season, recording a 2.07 GAA and a .928 save proportion.
There have been many within the Philadelphia space clamouring for Stolarz to play extra. He couldn’t get in with Michael Neuvirth, Brian Elliott, and Carter Hart within the system. So, there have been indicators that Stolarz might be this good.
He didn’t play a lot over the following couple of seasons, particularly with the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Geese. Once more, when he did man the web, his numbers had been stellar.
Nevertheless, in his third season in Anaheim, the variety of video games he performed began to rise, as he recorded a 2.67 GAA and a .917 save proportion. Whereas his final season in Anaheim dipped beneath a .900 save proportion, the Geese had been a foul workforce, and he stored them in lots of video games.
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Anthony Stolarz has a report of 3-2, a 1.83 GAA, and a .938 save proportion in a small pattern measurement with the Maple Leafs. Within the recreation towards the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night time, with the Maple Leafs up 5-1, Stolarz stopped the Lightning within the second interval, making a number of saves within the “excessive hazard zone.”
In line with MoneyPuck, Stolarz continues to be probably the greatest goalies within the NHL to this point this season. His superior stats proceed to again up his play from final season when he was with the Panthers.
The Jackson, New Jersey native and second-round choose (forty fifth general) from the 2012 NHL Draft took time to seek out his recreation within the NHL, however he discovered from probably the greatest goalies within the NHL and gained. He’s a confirmed winner and is bringing stability to the place the Maple Leafs didn’t have earlier than.
The Maple Leafs have faith in Anthony Stolarz, which is why he’s the beginning goaltender, despite the fact that Joseph Woll is able to return from damage.
