Like all NHL teams good and bad, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t a perfect team by any metric. Many nights, they look like world-beaters, but other nights, they’re a disappointment, the way they were in a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks Saturday.
With that said, the Leafs got a major boost this week when goaltender Anthony Stolarz returned to action against the Seattle Kraken Thursday in a 3-1 win over Seattle. Stolarz had been sidelined since Dec. 12 with a knee injury that required surgery, but against the Kraken, he stopped 26 of 27 shots, improving his save percentage this season to .929. The 31-year-old Stolarz now has a record this year of 10-5-2 – and his save percentage leads all NHL goaltenders who’ve played in 15 games or more this season.
Combine Stolarz’s wizardry with the stellar play of youngster Joseph Woll (19-11-0 record, .909 SP), and you have a Leafs team that arguably has the best 1-2 netminding punch in the NHL. There are better goalies than Woll and Stolarz – Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin, for instance – but in terms of high-end goaltending depth, Toronto might just have the top tandem on the planet.
Stolarz and Woll are essentially insurance for each other, and as the Maple Leafs push for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, their goalies give them a solid shot at winning game-in and game-out. The Leafs currently sit three standings points behind the Panthers, but Toronto has two games in hand on Florida as the teams arrive at the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
The Leafs have to be concerned about the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are now two points behind them for second in the Atlantic, but Toronto does have the tie-breaker if the Bolts do pull even with them. So, the Leafs are in a strong position to challenge Florida for the top spot in the division. And their goaltending is probably their biggest strength as they navigate their way through the rest of the regular season.
Injuries can always be a factor at any point, but the Maple Leafs have decent depth beyond Stolarz and Woll, with current AHL goalies Matt Murray and Dennis Hildeby both having played NHL games this season. But if the hockey gods smile on the Leafs and gift them good health the rest of the way this year, Woll and Stolarz will almost assuredly be the best duo in the league. And that’s something you can’t say of any Leafs team in recent memory. Of course, Toronto has had Jekyll-and-Hyde performers like Murray and Ilya Samsonov recently, but Stolarz and Woll are steadier, with better fundamentals than just about anyone who’s been in net for the Buds.
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Defense was pegged as the Leafs’ biggest area of concern this season, but with a vastly-improved group of blueliners, Toronto’s play in its own zone gives them one of the most-improved defenses in the NHL. But their goaltending deserves credit for bailing out the ‘D’ corps more than a few times. Woll and Stolarz have absolutely delivered on their end of things, and if the Leafs are going to have a deep Stanley Cup playoff run, their goalies are going to have to be at least as good as they’ve been to this point.
But at long last, Toronto’s netminders look capable of achieving big things. Stolarz and Woll have been terrific, and the Leafs are benefiting greatly because of it.
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