Craig Berube All but Confirms Maple Leafs' Starting Goaltender Ahead of Game 1
Photo credit: David Banks - Imagn Images
After weeks of deliberation, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has all but confirmed who will be starting in between the pipes for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Two main topics of conversation were being had for weeks on end between whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs could win the Atlantic Division and who would be in between the pipes for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While the race for first in the Atlantic was tight, the Maple Leafs never wavered and comfortably held their nerve in claiming the division title and a first round matchup against the Ottawa Senators.
What was still being discussed was whether it would be Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz in the blue paint for the first game.
They both had solid arguments as Stolarz finished the season going 21-8-3 with a league-leading .926 SV% and a minuscule 2.14 GAA. However, his counterpart saw more games and finished the year with a 27-14-1 record, a .909 SV%, and a 2.73 GAA.
Either way, head coach Craig Berube wasn't going to be in for an easy decision, but whoever he chose was going to be a solid pick.
On the eve of the first game of their first round matchup, Berube all but confirmed his selection, as reported by The Hockey News' David Alter. It appears as though it will be Anthony Stolarz between the pipes tomorrow night in Toronto.
"He has experience in the playoffs. He didn't start, but he has experience of being there and seeing it. Like I said, he's been around for quite some time now. He's had a great year like both of our goalies, so he's played extremely well this year and so he's ready to go."
The experience that Berube is alluding to is from last year's post-season run with the Florida Panthers when Stolarz backed up Sergei Bobrovsky en route to a Stanley Cup victory.
At this stage of the game, that level of experience is invaluable for a team like the Maple Leafs, who are looking for some playoff magic of their own.
Stolarz is entering the playoffs on a personal 8-game winning streak where he posted a scintillating .950 SV% while allowing only 11 goals. He recorded 3 shutouts in his final 4 games, including back-to-back clean sheets to close out the season.
Stolarz did lose both games he was in net for against the Senators this season as he allowed 6 goals on 65 shots, but he also only received 2 goals of support as the Leafs were shut out in the first encounter.
If it is indeed Stolarz who leads the Leafs onto the ice tomorrow night, look for a strong start from the 31-year-old, who has been nothing short of superb all season long for the Maple Leafs.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 19 | 4418 ANSWERS Craig Berube All but Confirms Maple Leafs' Starting Goaltender Ahead of Game 1 Who would you have preferred to be in net for Game 1? | ||
| Anthony Stolarz | 4033 | 91.3 % |
| Joseph Woll | 385 | 8.7 % |
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