Mitch Marner, Matthew Knies say that Anthony Stolarz’s ‘ruthless’ style of goaltending is a big advantage

Just like it’s been on so many other occasions in the current Toronto Maple Leafs era, the goaltending situation was a big question mark heading into the 2024-25 season. Joseph Woll had just signed a three-year extension and had shown signs of promise in the playoffs, albeit he had well-documented durability issues. Anthony Stolarz signed a two-year contract with the team after serving as the Florida Panthers’ backup, but like Woll, he didn’t have experience taking on the workload of a full-time starter.

Now that we’re in the month of April, it’s safe to say that, at least from a regular season perspective, the gamble has paid off. Stolarz has a record of 17-8-3 with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.34 and a save percentage (SV%) of .920. Meanwhile, Woll has a record of 25-13-1 with a GAA of 2.78 and a SV% of .906, which is pretty much all the Leafs could have asked for from either goaltender. While it’s technically up in the air who starts Game 1 of the playoffs, it’s fair to suggest that Stolarz currently has the edge, indicated by the fact that head coach Craig Berube started him for arguably the biggest game of the season against a potential playoff opponent in the Florida Panthers.

The gamble paid off, with Stolarz stopping 29 of 31 shots en route to a 3-2 Leafs win, punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth year in a row. Mitch Marner, who scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, said that the 6-foot-6 goaltender is one of the loudest he’s ever played with, which is a good thing.

“I think he’s one of the most vocal goalies I’ve ever had, which is great,” Marner said of Stolarz. “He lets you know where guys are on the ice, penalty kill, even strength wise, that’s what you want from your goalie, you want him to be letting you know where guys are. Obviously, he can handle the puck very well, you’re comfortable when he gets it on his stick that he can make a play. So, yeah, he’s been great for us all year.”

Matthew Knies, who scored the game-winning goal after a perfect stretch pass from Marner, echoed his teammates’ statements on his goaltender.

“I think he’s kind of ruthless back there,” Knies said with a smirk. “He gets screaming and yelling at us, but I think it just makes him play better. He’s extremely motivated and wants to win really bad.”

Although the Leafs have gotten overall decent goaltending in the playoffs, the issue has always been the timely save. Jack Campbell put up a playoff save percentage above .930 back in the North Division season, but it all went down the drain when he allowed a weak five-hole goal to Brendan Gallagher in Game 7 of that series. Stolarz has shown at times this season that he’s human, but the fact that he’s been able to get his save percentage to .920 at this point in the season is an encouraging sign and one that leaves you believing he’ll be comfortable making that crucial save if he needs to.

John Tavares said much the same of Stolarz, noting the difference between his laid-back personality off the ice and his captain-like tendencies on the ice.

“He’s got a little bit of a laid-back personality, but his intensity once he puts those pads on is pretty incredible,” Tavares said before listing off a grocery list of his goaltender’s best traits. “The way he’s barking and talking out there, into the game, the competitiveness, the way he fights for pucks. Obviously, the athleticism, he’s a big guy, how much he challenges shooters and how much he enjoys the battle, urges his teammates on. He’s been phenomenal all year.”

The Maple Leafs will be back in action on Saturday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets, but at this point, everybody’s got their sights set on the playoffs, Stolarz at the forefront of it.