‘Didn’t miss a beat’: Stolarz reminds of Maple Leafs’ big advantage

SEATTLE — The best purpose for perception that issues may very well be totally different this time wears a masks.

A pair totally different masks, truly.

Certain, the Toronto Maple Leafs will, principally, take the “identical solid of characters” (as rival coach Jon Cooper places it) into the post-season.

However that solid has by no means had goaltending help the likes that has been on show throughout their to date good 3-0 street journey out west. Or all season lengthy, for that matter.

If it wasn’t sufficient to see Joseph Woll shoulder his heaviest NHL workload but and make buzzer-beating saves in enemy barns, companion Anthony Stolarz appears to be like like… properly, just like the Anthony Stolarz of two months in the past — earlier than being sidelined by a knee operation.

“Seemed like he didn’t miss a beat,” stated defenceman Philippe Myers, following Thursday’s 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. “The most effective goalies within the league, and actually pleased to have him again.” 

Stolarz, a self-confessed perfectionist, was reluctant to position a timeline for return after he went beneath the knife to restore a knee that has wanted repairs up to now.

It wasn’t till Tuesday in Calgary that he and Leafs goalie coach Curtis Sanford circled this night time at Local weather Pledge Area — eight weeks from the day of damage — for return, properly tucking in a confidence-boosting begin earlier than the league scatters for the 4 Nations Face-Off break this weekend.

Stolarz’s knee, which had a pebble-sized fragment eliminated, has been healed for some time now. His ramp-up practises have been all about getting his timing down, his conditioning up. About feeling prepared.

“Lacking that a lot time, you wish to come out and have a constructive end result and get the 2 factors,” stated Stolarz, after saving 26 of 27 photographs and enhancing his save proportion to a glowing .929.

“However the guys did an awesome job tonight, serving to me ease again into it and let me see lot of the pucks, and I simply needed to make the saves.”

Eight of these saves got here on an ideal and vital five-for-five efficiency from the Leafs’ aggressive and structured penalty kill.

And one in every of them got here on a top quality likelihood from former teammate and fellow Cup champ Brandon Montour — at whom Stolarz winked when flashing the leather-based.

Montour couldn’t assist however shake his head and smile.

“We had our bodies in entrance that have been on my blocker facet. So I knew he was a righty, and he was going to attempt to shoot glove,” Stolarz recalled. “I threw all the things on the market, and fortunate it went into my glove.”

As spectacular as Stolarz’s stats, his physique language screamed, “I’m again.” The large man was whipping the glove, punching his blocker at oncoming pucks, and enjoying each dump-in with aggression. 

“He’s an enormous a part of his workforce. We all know that. When he was out, we missed him,” coach Craig Berube stated. “He performed a heck of a recreation.”

As meditative and elastic as Woll performs the identical job, Stolarz brings a borderline violent swagger to the occupation. Each are battlers, however their aesthetics and personalities differ.

After one early sequence of determined blocker stabs prevented the Kraken from tying the competition, all Stolarz’s teammates stood up on the bench and whacked their sticks on the boards in appreciation.

Is it doable to overstate the trickle impact of getting not one however two netminders able to stealing or sealing a win?

“You’re feeling it during,” says a considerate Bobby McMann. “You realize that generally you’re going to surrender some powerful appears to be like. They usually’ve been there, backstopping us all yr.

“And generally we even benefit from it. However we positively wish to admire them each single recreation and each single play and each huge cease that they make. As a result of it actually drives us.”

The tantalizing facet of a wholesome Stolarz-Woll tandem — in addition to being locked up for affordable by 2025-26 — is that Toronto ought to enter its first playoff sequence with a goaltending edge.

Possibly its second and third, too. These guys are enjoying that properly.

And with Stolarz wholesome, there isn’t any purpose each halves of the very best Leafs tandem in years can’t assist one another relaxation for what issues.

“He was superior once more tonight,” Mitch Marner stated of identical ’ol Stolarz. “However we’re snug with both these goalies in our internet.”

• Toronto’s newly shaped unit of Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander united the workforce’s high three scorers. Mixed they’ve racked up 171 factors. 

Humorous when a “second” line options the NHL’s second-highest goal-scorer plus the quickest Leaf to 500 assists.

“I don’t really need solo achievements on this league or get pleasure from them as a lot as possibly individuals ought to. So, a whole lot of credit score to the fellows round me which have been right here with me since Day 1 and a few guys which have moved on. They’re those put the puck in,” stated Marner, the third-fastest energetic participant to hit the milestone (Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid).

“I’ll get pleasure from it for the night time after which neglect about it.”

• Matthew Knies prolonged his purpose streak on a debatable deflection that received upheld after a high-stick video overview. 

Humorous factor is, Knies gathered his teammates for a fast chat after the puck went in and pushed shooter Jake McCabe to the entrance of the celebratory bench parade.

“I believe he was attempting to idiot the ref there just a little bit. Good play by him,” McMann smirked. “It was good that he swiped down on it, as a result of it was very shut.”

Added Berube: “I believe it’s shut. It’s very shut. However once they name (a purpose) on the ice, it takes rather a lot to overturn it.”

• Auston Matthews is quietly on a season-long five-game purpose drought… however has already piled up six assists on this street journey.

• Conor Timmins sustained an upper-body damage from a Brayden Pachal elbow throughout Tuesday’s win in Calgary. Timmins wanted assist to the room after taking the shot and drawing an interference penalty. 

Although he later returned to that recreation, Timmins was too damage to play Thursday in Seattle. 

That opened the door for substitute Myers to tear his first purpose as a Leaf — and first within the NHL since Nov. 17, 2022. 

How did it really feel, after an 812-day wait?

“Felt actually good to see that one go in. I used to be simply attempting to get the puck on internet, received a lucky bounce there, and I’ll take it,” Myers stated.

“My mentality is, when your title will get referred to as, be able to go and work your bag off it every single day once you go to the rink, whether or not you are enjoying or not, and keep constructive.”

• Battle of the block brothers!

Toronto’s Chris Tanev leads all NHL defencemen in blocked photographs (146). Seattle’s Brandon Tanev leads all forwards in the identical class (87).