The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be locked in with Anthony Stolarz as the starting goaltender for the playoffs.
Stolarz has played well down the stretch and appears to be Toronto’s No. 1 goalie with Joseph Woll as insurance. However, a common saying in hockey is that come playoffs, is that if you have two goalies, you don’t have one.
NHL teams need a true No. 1 goalie they know is starting every game of the playoffs, and NHL insider and former NHL goalie Carter Hutton believes he doesn’t know if Stolarz can be someone that plays a ton of games as a true No. 1 goalie.
“I do believe this is long-term for Stolarz. My worry about him is I don’t think he ever becomes that 55-game to 60-game guy consistently. He can be a difference maker,” Hutton said on Daily Faceoff Live on April 10. “His size and poise, we saw it last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was so good. You look at that overtime, he made a few big saves. He reads the play well. What I like about Stolarz is that he communicates well with his teammates. He has that maturity. I feel like he’s going to take on this challenge.”
Stolarz has played well this season and has become the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 goalie. Stolarz signed a two-year, $5 million deal with Toronto this offseason.
Hutton Believes Stolarz is Ready to Start in Playoffs
Although Hutton worries if Stolarz can be a goalie who plays a ton of games, he is confident in him going into the playoffs.
Hutton points to the other goalies in the Eastern Confernece that Toronto could play in the playoffs and believes Stolarz matches up with them.
“When you look at the East, there are going to be some big head-to-head matchups for him. We talk about Linus Ullmark possibly in the first round, and then from there, you’re going to have Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky,” Hutton said. “Last night, just even getting that win and extending your leash in the sense of your confidence and where you’re at, and helping this team to get to the top of the standings, it’s so important, especially for a guy that was a career backup. He’s really flourished in a market where there is a lot of pressure, but I think he’s ready to handle it. It’s been a great signing so far for the Maple Leafs.”
Stolarz has gone 19-8-3 with a 2.28 GAA and a .922 SV% this season.
Stolarz Looking to Lead Maple Leafs to Promised Land
Toronto hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967, but the Maple Leafs are one of the best teams in the league.
The Maple Leafs are likely to win the Atlantic Division, but Stolarz has made it clear the job isn’t done.
“It’s extremely special what we’ve done this year, but obviously the job’s not finished,” Stolarz said of his season.
If the Maple Leafs are going to win the Stanley Cup, Stolarz will have to play a key role in the team doing so.
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