The Toronto Maple Leafs are down to the final stretch of the season, and this is where things start to heat up and the season is put under a microscope. With the trade deadline officially behind us, this is the roster the Maple Leafs are stuck with.
While the offence has had its issues and the defence has been solid, the real highlight of this team has absolutely been between the pipes. For the first time in the Auston Matthews era, the Leafs have two starting goalies who have legitimate star potential. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have emerged as two safe and calm voices in net.
This is a unique position to be in around the league, and many teams would wish for this privilege. With the playoffs just around the corner, and other lineup issues they need to tackle, the goaltending is still an “issue”. It’s not an issue in the sense the netminders are playing poorly, rather Toronto needs to figure out who will actually be playing come Game 1.
While both these goalies make a strong case, let’s see what each goalie brings to the table and who should ultimately take the net in game one of the playoffs.
The brick Woll
This is the familiar face amongst Leafs fans. This team and fan base know what they have with Joseph Woll. He was the one touted as the “saviour” after Ilya Samsonov and his horrid performance we saw in the playoffs last year. With Stolarz missing a good chunk of the season, Woll has had to step up as the starter. In 36 games played this season, he has 24 wins with a .908 save percentage.
While the play for this team as a whole has been shaky as of late, Woll’s play had been questionable as well—including a bad game against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Pittsburgh Penguins. But after wins against the Calgary Flames and Colorado, it looks like Woll is gaining momentum. Especially last night, Woll looked like the playoff starter. For a couple weeks, it looked like Toronto wanted Stolarz to run away with the job. Now, it seems like the opposite.
Alongside his partner in net Woll has also had injury problems. If can remain healthy towards the end of the season, and if he wants to be the Game 1 starter, then the Leafs have to see Woll give them a chance to win every night.
The new guy
There haven’t been many surprises on this team bigger than Anthony Stolarz. His presence on this team has been undeniable and he has not only become arguably the best performing goalie for this team in the Matthews era, but one of the best goalies in the league this year. Stolarz currently sits with 13 wins in 26 games with a .918 save percentage.
Once again, the case has been that injuries have limited the play we have seen out of Stolarz. While his save percentage has taken a slight dip from the ridiculous .929 we saw before the 4 Nations break, much of the struggles we are seeing can be attributed to the team in front of him.
While his play has shown that he could be the better choice heading into the playoffs, his lack of experience in the postseason could give some fans doubts about whether he is the right choice for this team in Game 1. And with Woll gaining momentum, he’ll need to regain his elite form to be that guy.
The team in front
While the Leafs have continued to be a top team in the East for most of the season—even continuing some of their great play after the break—there have been some struggles recently. The Leafs had lost five out of their last six heading into their Monday matchup against the Calgary Flames, with old habits rearing their ugly heads. But after two straight wins, it seems they are back.
They have struggled to score, which is a troubling sign, and aren’t playing full 60 minutes. But thanks to their goaltending last night, they are back to their winning ways.
Of course, scoring makes life a lot easier for your netminder. Without so much pressure, both Stolarz and Woll are capable of taking this team on a deep playoff run. Goaltending will probably not be the reason the Leafs are eliminated.
Who starts?
With the playoffs seemingly just around the corner, and an Eastern Conference that looks like it will be a dogfight once again, the Leafs will need to be better than they currently are. The Leafs currently sit seventh in the league in expected goals against.
The decision behind who gets to start in Game 1 has been one of the biggest questions for this team so far, and they will need to see the best play out of both of these guys if they want to make a case for the playoffs. Having both Woll and Stolarz playing this well is a privilege very few teams have, and the team as whole needs to step up if they want to see these netminders succeed in April and hopefully May.
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