Maple Leafs Identify Starting Goalie Against Defending Stanley Cup Champions
The Maple Leafs are in Florida tonight to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and appear to have selected their starting goaltender.
Don't look now, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are the top team in the Atlantic Division, regardless of the outcome of tonight's game against the 2nd place Florida Panthers.
Still, with tonight's game being against a heated divisional rival, it would be in the Leafs' best interest to ensure that they bring their A-game tonight, in what is considered a 4-point game.
If the Leafs can win this one, they'll have effectively given themselves an additional 2-point cushion, while also preventing the Panthers from earning 2 points of their own. That's why their goaltending selection tonight was an important one.
Fittingly, the Leafs had former Panthers goalie Anthony Stolarz in the visitors net today for the morning skate, which indicates that he'll get the nod against his former team.
With both Leafs goalies playing extremely well right now, there was really no bad selection, but hats off to Craig Berube here, giving Stolarz the nod the same day on which he received his Stanley Cup ring, along with fellow former Panthers Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz.
After inking a 2-year deal with the Maple Leafs and promising to push Joseph Woll for starts, Stolarz has done just that through his quality play.
Across 12 starts, Stolarz has racked up 7 wins to go along with a 2.18 GAA and a .927 SV%. The Leafs are hoping he can make it 8 wins with a W tonight in Florida.
