Goalie Playing Better Than Your Plan: Maple Leafs at a Crossroads

Let me throw something out there that sounds a little backwards at first. After last night’s 4–2 win over the Boston Bruins, should the Toronto Maple Leafs sit Anthony Stolarz the rest of the way? Why? Because he’s been too good?

Your goalie takes a puck to the throat in warmups, gets checked out at the hospital, and then puts up one of his best games in Boston wearing a neck guard. Fighting for the playoffs—that’s the kind of story that would bring a team together. Just ride the hot hand.

Stolarz Has Earned the Maple Leafs’ Crease

Eighteen saves don’t scream domination, but if you watch the game, you see how much Stolarz mattered to his team’s win. He made the saves that mattered. Boston pushed, especially when the Maple Leafs fell into penalty trouble, and he didn’t blink. There was no scrambling or panic. Just steady, controlled goaltending that let the team settle in front of him.

You could feel it through the television screen, too. The Maple Leafs looked more organized, a little more confident. That’s what good goaltending brings to a team. The confidence spreads. When your goalie looks like he’s got everything under control, everyone else breathes a little easier.

So why in the world would you even think about sitting him?

It’s Been That Kind of Season for the Maple Leafs

Well, this is where things get a bit goofy this season. The Maple Leafs are in a strange spot. They’re not exactly charging toward anything meaningful as the season winds down, and there’s a draft pick hanging out there that is top-five protected. You don’t have to look too hard to see the long-term logic. Lose a little now, protect the pick, set yourself up better for the future.

And here’s Stolarz, winning games like he still thinks the team can make the postseason. Just when you need it the least, he’s been at his best all season. In his last two starts, he allowed only four goals and looks like the more reliable option than Joseph Woll. Sadly, Woll’s usually solid, but he’s had a rough stretch. If you keep playing Stolarz, you might just win more than you planned to down the stretch.

That’s the dilemma.