The Toronto Maple Leafs have a very good problem right now, having two goaltenders who are playing very well in Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz.
After putting up a .964 SV% against Chicago on Monday, Stolarz surprisingly found himself playing backup for Woll on Wednesday evening against Nashville.
This back-and-forth split between goalies can, at times, mess with a goalie's rhythm, but for Woll and Stolarz, they just continue to turn in quality performances in large, which has been wonderful to see.
Stolarz, who signed a 2-year deal with the Leafs this summer, has won 4 of his last 6 starts, while Joseph Woll has now won 6 consecutive starts, dating back to November 9th.
Following his win over Nashville on Wednesday, Woll was asked about his healthy rivalry with Stolarz for starts in Toronto. The 26-year-old had nothing but great things to say of his tandem partner.
After coming off of injured reserve, where he began his season, Woll has been on a pretty consistent rise, getting better with every game since. Yes, there have been some ups and downs, but what we're seeing now is a cleaner, sharper Joseph Woll, who is tracking the puck very well and not making many mistakes -- aside from last night's blunder on the opening goal for Nashville.
The Leafs had a particularly light November on the schedule, but a busy December, which means both guys are expected to see a lot of action.
A good goaltender can steal you a game. Two good goaltenders may very well steal you a division or conference title, and Woll and Stolarz are certainly giving the Leafs the goaltending they need to win games, with the Buds having gone 8-2-0 in their last 10.
Let's hope these two skilled netminders can keep this up.
POLL | ||
5 DECEMBRE | 2764 ANSWERS Leafs G Joseph Woll Shares Honest Thoughts on Healthy Rivalry with Anthony Stolarz Will Anthony Stolarz finish this season with a save percentage above .920 again? | ||
Yes | 2223 | 80.4 % |
No | 541 | 19.6 % |
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