Quick Shifts: Are Maple Leafs’ goalies hitting a wall?

A fast mixture of the issues we gleaned from the week of hockey, severe and fewer so, and rolling 4 traces deep. If two goalies need to struggle, who’re we to cease them?

In any season at any degree, probably the most video games Woll had performed is 37. That was with Boston School in 2018-19. Thursday’s rocky shootout loss in San Jose marked his thirty eighth on this important marketing campaign for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Stolarz’s earlier NHL excessive was 28 appearances with the Anaheim Geese in 2021-22. Regardless of mid-season knee surgical procedure, he’ll set a private greatest together with his twenty ninth recreation for the Leafs this weekend, both Saturday in L.A. or Sunday towards these Geese. (Coach Craig Berube isn’t tipping his hand.)

What a possibility, for each athletes.

What a thriller, for everybody concerned and watching.

Whereas stellar early and very good in current spurts, neither half of the Maple Leafs’ unproven tandem has seized the crease outright, nor owns the prolonged playoff résumé that makes them a straightforward alternative to start out Sport 1.

Each Woll and Stolarz have seen their save percentages dip this month, as divisional-race stress mounts, their rotation retains spinning, and Toronto’s defensive lapses persist.

Within the aftermath of Thursday’s 6-5 shootout loss to the last-place Sharks, Berube criticized Woll unprompted. Friday in L.A., the coach was extra diplomatic discussing the goaltending he’s obtained for the reason that 4 Nations break.

“It’s slightly up and down. They’ve had actual good video games, too. It’s a little bit like our recreation — slightly too inconsistent at instances. However, hey, they’ve performed rather well for us this 12 months. They’ve been actually strong. They’re going to have off nights, like all people else does,” mentioned Berube, fast to share duty with the skaters.

“Defence is a dedication. I don’t care what system you play. Groups win with several types of techniques, however it’s concerning the dedication to doing it and doing the little issues throughout the system that actually buckle it down defensively.”

Toronto has been extra vulnerable to odd-man rushes and lopsided shot totals recently, nevertheless it hasn’t been getting the game-saving stops as recurrently both.

On the midway mark, we topped the Stolarz and Woll tandem as the greatest surprise of the Leafs’ season. Toronto had the perfect save share within the East and the third-best general.

In the present day, the Leafs rank thirteenth in crew save share. Mid.

That falls on the forwards and blue-line, but in addition the boys in pads — who at the moment are working extra usually and beneath extra stress than ever of their professional lives.

“It’s extra work to maintain your physique wholesome, and that’s a studying expertise as nicely. You be taught what your physique wants, and that it’s doing extra to remain wholesome,” Woll defined Friday in L.A.

“Similar time, it’s work mentally, too, to remain in the best mindset. It’s like anything — it’s work.”

Stolarz, 31, says that each one goalies need to play as a lot as doable. He views his new career-high in video games performed as “a hit in itself.” Having a front-row seat for Sergei Bobrovsky’s 4 rounds, nonetheless, he is aware of there’s a lot extra work forward.

“The roles aren’t executed,” Stolarz mentioned. “We’re all human, and we will all enhance on unsure areas. So, I feel simply getting slightly further work with (goalie coach Curtis Sanford) the final couple days right here has been big. And I actually favored my final two video games (each wins) towards the Rangers and Flyers.”

Stolarz describes himself as a “massive video man.” He’ll analyze his saves and misses from a number of angles to be taught what he’s doing accurately and never a lot. Woll prefers to assessment his performances — good or unhealthy — with Sanford the identical night time, then flush it and transfer on to the subsequent begin.

For probably the most half, this deconstruction and fine-tuning is completed individually, between Sanford and one goalie at a time.

“That’s a part of the rotation that we’ve got used all through the season, too,” Berube mentioned. “These guys haven’t had that a lot work of their profession — ever. They’re previous that time now, however I feel we’ve got managed it nicely with the rotation and utilizing the fellows.

“However I really feel like they’re in a great place. I don’t really feel like they’re overused or drained. I’m not sensing that from them.”

2. A lot was made, understandably, concerning the feedback John Tortorella made in Toronto, after stapling the still-developing Cam York to the bench for 50 minutes and watching his gutted group get trounced 7-2 by the Maple Leafs. Hardly a great response after getting thumped 7-4 by the Blackhawks a few days earlier.

“This falls on me. I’m not likely fascinated by studying how one can coach in any such season, the place we’re at proper now. However I’ve to do a greater job,” Tortorella mentioned. “So, this falls on me, getting the crew ready to play the right method till we get to the tip.”

Much less was made from Tortorella’s feedback that morning, although.

He remained off the ice and let his assistants run Philadelphia’s full morning skate, which is uncommon for any head coach at a compulsory follow. And he spoke freely concerning the group’s plan to basically deal with 2024-25 as a misplaced season.

After promoting off a number of helpful items by the commerce deadline, the idea of giving up felt actual. And, for a coach who’s seen the view from the mountaintop, it harm to be strategically tumbling all the way down to base camp.

“This has been talked about for over a 12 months, what this 12 months was going to be. Our gamers stored us aggressive till close to the deadline, when all people began leaving, and we knew we have been going to undergo some ache. So, you discuss it, you comply with by way of. And I respect that we’re following by way of with it,” Tortorella mentioned simply hours earlier than his remaining recreation behind the Philadelphia Flyers bench.

“If you’re in it, it sucks. It sucks for me to see the gamers undergo it. Coaches, it’s a grind on us, however I would like the gamers to be ok with themselves as we carry on making an attempt to get to the end line right here.

“If you’re a coach and also you’re speaking with the administration, and it’s a recreation plan, all the pieces’s good: OK, we’ll comply with by way of it. However if you’re in the course of it, it is exhausting.”

Tortorella sounded each bit like a person dropping by the wayside. Or, maybe, like a man who knew his days have been numbered and wished his perspective public.

Final season, when his will to win, to speed up Danny Briere’s plan, surprisingly resulted in flirtation with a playoff spot, he tried scratching his captain.

This season, he scratched the Flyers’ future celebrity, Matvei Michkov. He pushed Owen Tippett to the fourth line at instances. Benched different younger guys who’re, or have been, meant to be a part of the answer.

His persistence didn’t match that of the executives. They’re not on the entrance traces, the digital camera catching each frown after one other loss and one other resigned stroll off the bench in a half-zip.

A few of Tortorella’s connectors to a younger room — revered vets like Erik Johnson and Scott Laughton — obtained dealt away for fantastic returns. He missed them, immediately.

There’s a purpose the Detroit Crimson Wings employed a beginner like Jeff Blashill and the Ottawa Senators tapped a D.J. Smith for the strip-down, build-up years. That they had the vitality and persistence; they didn’t know — or count on — the glory.

“I do know the place we’re at. OK, let’s not dodge that. They know the place they’re at,” Tortorella mentioned. “The blokes which are going to be the inspiration of a crew that’s going to win sometime right here, once we get to that time, I feel they’ve executed their job. I would like them to proceed doing their job by way of this and simply making an attempt to get by way of it, making an attempt to get to the end line.

“As a result of there’s nothing coming for us after April 17.”

Positive, Tortorella obtained fired this week. However not earlier than he resigned.

We had the large, goal-scoring, 26-year-old pegged as probably the most invaluable defenceman scheduled to hit the open market.

However if you’re taking part in the perfect hockey of your life for the convention’s greatest crew and headed to the post-season for the primary time in six years … don’t mess with joyful.

That teammates tacked a $100 invoice to the again of Chychrun’s sweater and altered his helmet quantity to 72 — a nod to his eight-year, $72 million extension — reveals how a lot enjoyable the boys are having in D.C. nowadays. And the way a lot Chychrun is part of that.

Monitoring his second absolutely wholesome season in a row and coming into his personal, Chychrun has already crushed profession bests in objectives (18), factors (44), and plus/minus (plus-23).

Whereas a $9 million AAV practically doubles his paycheques, Chychrun may nicely have pushed for more cash on an open defence market that would now be led by… who? Aaron Ekblad? Neal Pionk?

The pickings get slim quick, significantly in order for you a 20-something with offensive upside.

“We’ve actually beloved all the pieces about being right here, from residing in Virginia, taking part in in D.C., driving by the White Home every single day. Nice neighbourhoods. Tons of households, tons of youngsters,” Chychrun instructed me earlier this season.

“You realize, we had a block social gathering the primary week right here in a home with, like, 100 children working round. And it’s simply nice for my spouse (Olivia) and I. We love residing right here. We love taking part in right here. The blokes are phenomenal. Probably the greatest organizations within the league. You see that with possession. Simply prime to backside, we’ve beloved this.”

Love trumps cash. However each are good.

“Properly, what number of years has it been? It’s been like two years already, proper? So, yeah, two years.” — Alex Ovechkin, on when he began getting sick of reporters asking him concerning the all-time objectives report.

5. Whereas the world nonetheless counts down the objectives till the Ovechkin spotlight of 2024-25, he gave us what may be a greater one.

The Capitals started submitting off the bench and strolling to the dressing room following Thursday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild when their captain urgently instructed each considered one of his teammates to get again on the ice and shake the hand of Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury, whose retirement is imminent, has been probably the most victimized of all Ovechkin’s victims. The sniper has put 28 pucks previous Fleury, greater than another goalie.

The 2 legends have battled in lots of an epic Caps-Pens playoff collection, and Fleury was on the opposing Golden Knights that marvellous night time in Vegas when Ovi led his franchise to its solely title.

“We wished to try this. O had talked about that this morning — gonna be the final time going towards Marc-Andre and paying the respect he deserved,” coach Spencer Carbery mentioned post-game. “He’s had so many battles with the Caps, with O. So, fairly stylish to have the ability to ship him off and say how spectacular a profession he had.”

6. Solely the Nashville Predators have scored fewer objectives than the Calgary Flames, who wouldn’t be hanging across the wild-card hunt have been it not for tremendous rookie Dustin Wolf performing a lot larger than his listed six-foot, 166-pound body.

Teammate Jonathan Huberdeau mentioned — apart from five-foot-11, 185-pound Jose Theodore in his rookie 12 months with the Florida Panthers — he’d at all times performed with massive netminders.

“You’ll are available on him, and there was a lot internet,” Huberdeau smiled. The phantasm of the straightforward goal. “He’s simply so fast. These goalies, they have to be fast. Dustin is small, however he can learn the place you’re gonna shoot. Facet to aspect, he’s most likely the quickest goalie to play with. Simply unbelievable.”

Site visitors makes monitoring the shooter’s launch level troublesome, however Wolf has turn out to be adept at discovering lanes together with his eyes and anticipating, making troublesome saves look straightforward.

Nazem Kadri credit one thing extra intangible than technical for Wolf’s swift success: his competitiveness.

“He understands the time of the sport, when to make an enormous save or when the crew wants a lift,” Kadri mentioned. “And he’s prepared for that second.”

Coach Ryan Huska appears like a proud dad, the way in which he discusses the 23-year-old’s development by way of the group’s farm system. How being The Man on the AHL degree has translated seamlessly to Wolf’s similar standing within the NHL. 

“Each time there was a recreation (within the AHL) they wanted to win, he would win it. He gave us confidence. We knew that, hey, if we introduced him alongside slowly, he could possibly be the man right here,” Huska mentioned.

“There’s been nights this 12 months the place he’s allowed our crew to get our toes beneath us once we weren’t taking part in at our greatest. And he’s confirmed his teammates, extra so than something, that I can do that, and I obtained your again.”

7. Talking of struggling to search out footing, the Huberdeau in Calgary period is lastly off and working.

“Hear, there’s loads that goes into being traded if you’re not anticipating it to occur. He was in Florida a protracted time period, in order that first 12 months was a tricky one for him. And I really feel just like the second 12 months, when it didn’t get off to an important begin for him, issues form of snowballed,” Huska sympathized.

“He began to query slightly bit who he was and the place his recreation was going.”

The coach mentioned his costliest weapon exhaled over the summer season. Flipped his mindset. Relieved the inner stress to match his loopy 115-point farewell in Florida. And realized that he would wish to regulate his run-and-gun East Coast recreation to a tighter-checking Left Convention.

“He’s virtually gone reverse, the place he’s turned himself into an excellent 200-foot participant for us that’s now contributing due to that,” Huska mentioned.

Huberdeau is getting extra defensive-zone begins and has now assumed a penalty-killing position. And but he has already scored as many objectives this season (27) as he did in his first two Flames seasons mixed.

“Taking part in each side of the puck, being extra dependable defensively, and penalty killing too — it makes you keep within the recreation. And the ice time has been there. There’s some extent that I began taking part in, like, 20 minutes an evening. That makes an enormous distinction,” mentioned Huberdeau, whose TOI has spiked from 17:25 to 19:23.

“We’re not a crew that’s gonna be creating 100 factors offensively, however we’re taking part in extra of a defensive recreation, and that’s how we get success. That’s all it’s. I am not interested by my private stats. It’s about making the playoffs, and that’s what I am nervous about.”

As with most hockey tales, there’s a component of luck that blends with the exhausting work, although. Huberdeau’s taking pictures share hit a 10-year low in 2023-24, dropping to eight.4. It has rebounded to a career-high 19.4 this season.

“He’s getting slightly extra puck luck,” linemate Kadri mentioned. “For a participant of his talent degree, simply seeing a pair bounces drop your method can go a good distance.”

An extended option to reclaiming confidence and id.

“It’s at all times exhausting to not be capable to assist the crew the previous few years,” Huberdeau mentioned. “This 12 months has been higher, and I feel I really feel extra myself.”

8. Being aware of many Sheldon Keefe press conferences, watching him after a tricky loss is akin to sitting throughout from an on-tilt card participant after a foul beat.

The coach will get emotionally invested within the consequence and loses his poker face. He has been slapped with three $25,000 fines (two in Toronto and now one in Jersey) for berating officials in-game, in any case.

So, whereas it was a tad stunning to name out a selected participant (Johnathan Kovacevic) final Saturday, the palpable frustration from Keefe’s podium felt acquainted.

“I assumed Kovacevic was fantastic. All people wished to make an enormous deal over that, and I get it,” Keefe later explained in New Jersey. “It’s a viral world that we stay in. However, you realize, Kovacevic was caught within the line of fireplace due to the query.”

And since Keefe is beneath stress right here.

He was introduced in — together with higher goaltending and a few good participant additions — to get the Devils again on observe.

Keefe is aware of all too nicely the issue of flipping the “A-game” change for Sport 1, and his injury-hampered roster is scuffling. Many picked the Devils to contend for a divisional crown, and now they’re monitoring to start out the post-season on the street towards a extra dialled-in Carolina Hurricanes group.

9. Except they arrive off a goalie’s blade or a Ridly Greig windup, however empty-net objectives are seldom the fodder of spotlight reels.

Watch Cole Hutson (sure, that’s Lane’s youthful brother, a Capitals prospect) rating this dogged short-handed ENG, although.

10. Typically the perfect transfer is the one you don’t make.

Doug Armstrong is a agency believer that the gamers dictate the deadline plans, not administration.

The St. Louis GM was open for enterprise — even entertaining calls on revered captain and Berube pen pal Brayden Schenn — till the Blues gamers instructed the boss to shut store, by advantage of their on-ice efficiency.

Winners of eight straight, the most well liked crew in hockey resides within the Lou. The lockdown Blues have stored their opponents to 2 objectives or fewer in seven of these contests, and Armstrong’s double supply sheet continues to appear like a genius stroke.

Based on MoneyPuck.com, the Blues’ odds of creating the post-season have rocketed to 73.1 per cent, and so they’ve began gaining floor on Minnesota for the primary wild card.

Think about: Had the NHL positioned its commerce deadline earlier, even by per week or so, we could possibly be writing a totally completely different story.

(P.S. How good has coach Jim Montgomery regarded this season after strolling the plank off the great ship Boston Bruins only a few months again?)

The subsequent, Laughton is waking as much as information that Tortorella has adopted him out the door in Philly. 

“It was a shock to me. Who is aware of what would’ve occurred in the summertime and all the pieces like that? However, yeah, it was a shock to me,” mentioned Laughton, an ardent Torts defender and long-serving member of the Flyers’ management group, hours after studying of the firing.

“One factor I do know is Brad Shaw, their interim, is an unbelievable man. Actually good hockey thoughts. So, it provides him a search for 10 video games. Hopefully he does one thing with it and might proceed sooner or later for that crew. However Torts is an effective man and did a number of good issues for me in his time there. I want him nothing however the perfect.”

What makes Shaw — whose final interim gig lasted 40 video games (with the 2005-06 Islanders) — a worthy candidate for the gig?

“Very methodical. He’s very, very sensible,” Laughton mentioned. “Explains the sport very nicely. Sees the sport very nicely. He performed for some time; he was a very good crew man when he performed, I’m fairly positive. And he’s nice with the defenceman. He helped a number of these younger defencemen out — and he helped me loads on the penalty kill.”

The Flyers’ PK ranked twenty sixth when Shaw took it over. By 2023-24, he’d helped elevate it to fourth.

“He’s a really sensible hockey thoughts,” Laughton mentioned.

12. Let’s give some like to Pat Maroon, lets?

Uncommon is it for an expert athlete to exit on his or her personal phrases. Rarer nonetheless when that athlete is a bounce-around, good-vibes, fourth-line position participant.

However right here is the blue-collar Massive Rig — a three-time (consecutive!) Stanley Cup champion and four-time (additionally consecutive!) finalist — authoring his personal remaining chapter.

The unlikely everyman hockey hero and enduring persona fittingly introduced his impending retirement at his Blackhawks’ final go to to his native St. Louis in a touching interview with Darren Pang.

Wrapping a splendidly satisfying bow on an indelible profession.