- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 412,221
- Reaction score
- 43
You must be registered for see images attach
FORT LAUDERDALE — The Toronto Maple Leafs will start Joseph Woll in goal when they visit thre Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday. With the Maple Leafs having games on back-to-back nights, it was expected they would split duties between Woll and Anthony Stolarz. However, Maple Leads head coach Craig Berube explained why he didn't go with Stolarz against his former club.
"Well Stolarz has seen him three times this year so we switched it up," Berube explained.
Stolarz served as the back-up for the Panthers last season during their 2024 Stanley Cup Championship. After that, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Maple Leafs.
So far, Stolarz has had a stellar first season with Toronto. In his last three starts, the goaltender has posted a .978 save percentage and had a 27-save shutout in a 5-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Apr. 5.
You must be registered for see images attach
'We'll Go Over It At Some Point': Has Craig Berube Changed His Tune About Going With A Goalie Tandem In The Playoffs?The Toronto Maple Leafs have been platooning goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll all season long. While Stolarz seems to have a slight edge on Woll to start Game 1 of the playoffs, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was asked if he'd consider a tandem situation for the playoffs. Woll has struggled in March, however, he had a strong performance in his last start, a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Mar. 30 where he made 29 saves on 31 shots.
Stolarz already had his welcome-back moment in Florida when he got the start back in November.
With the playoffs around the corner, it's seemingly looking like the job in net is Stolarz' to lose. With a career-high 31 games with Toronto and a .922 save percentage, that seems evident. But Woll will get at least a couple of starts with another series of back-to-back games coming up at the end of the week.
What else did Berube discuss?
With the Panthers possibly being an opponent to the Leafs in the post-season, Berube focused on what the Leafs did well against them in their previous meeting.
"We've got to have patience playing this team because they check extremely well. They're in your face, you know, extremely well and there's not a lot of room. So you're going to have to be patient. Simple puck plays are important tonight. Putting pucks in behind them, getting pucks out of your zone, those little things are crucial. And we did a real good job of it for all the game, I thought. And we got a couple good opportunities in the third period and capitalized on them. There's a lot of good things we did well playing them, but those are key for me."
You must be registered for see images attach
'Great Move By Him': Matthew Knies Scores Maple Leafs' Game-Winner Against Panthers Showcasing NHL Growth This SeasonKnies has seven more games to score four goals, bringing him to the 30-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career. Q: How close is your team to being playoff-ready right now?
*Laughs* Well, I think they're close. I think we've been playing meaningful games for quite some time now. And going into tonight, it's another meaningful game. And the next day. Those are important, in my opinion, going into the playoffs.
Q: Do you look at these upcoming games as playoff previews, or are you just trying to keep the focus on what you guys need to do?
Yeah, I said it yesterday. Focus on our team and what we need to do and things that we'll keep improving on and harping on about how we need to play. We know what Florida's all about and how they play, and that's not going to change. And so I just focus on our team.
Q: Mitch (Marner) is really close to 100 points. It's within reach. What's your sense of what that milestone would mean for you to get in?
Well, I mean, it's like a guy scoring 50 goals, and, you know, it means a lot to the player, individual, and, you know, and to our team and to the organization. You know, he's just got to make sure he stays in the moment with things and plays the right way, and the points will come. He's a very good player. He has the ability to do a lot of good things, So you've just got to stay focused and just keep playing his game and focus on playing the team game.
You must be registered for see images attach
'Try Not To Focus On Everything Else That Can Swirl Around': Maple Leafs' John Tavares Believes Mitch Marner Is Handling Season Of Uncertainty WellBoth Tavares and Marner are in the final years of their deals with the Maple Leafs. Q: (Aleksander) Barkov's back tonight. How much does it change?
Well, he's a great player. He's one of the best 200-foot players in the National Hockey League. So he's difficult. He's a hard opponent to go against, Whoever out there against him And he makes their power play better. He makes their penalty kill better. and he makes their 5-on-5 game better.
Q: That last game, which was the second half of the back-to-back for Florida, you got the two back-to-backs this week and the optional practice yesterday. How challenging is it when you have all these back-to-backs?
Well, that was one of the reasons we chose to, well, we had a day off Sunday and then Monday they had the option. Staying off, or doing something in the gym or going on the ice for kind of a skill session. We've got two sets of back-to-backs coming up here. So starting tonight and one on the weekend. So a lot of hockey, a lot of hockey. So rest is important. And, you know, that's one way we can do it.
Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Continue reading...
