Stolarz starts again as Leafs host 'desperate, hungry' Jackets
The Maple Leafs (optional) and Columbus Blue Jackets skated at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.
Anthony Stolarz will start again on Saturday as the Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"I liked his last game a lot," explained coach Craig Berube. "And I just think I can get him into another game here, like, consecutive games."
Stolarz stopped 29 shots in Toronto's 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
Toronto has mostly rotated between Stolarz and Joseph Woll since early February when Stolarz returned from a knee injury. With only two games on the schedule this week, it seemed likely that the playing time split would continue. But, instead, Berube is opting to give Stolarz a chance to build momentum with only seven games remaining in the regular season.
"Really, that’s all the thinking going into it was I just trying to find a little consistency here and moving forward as we go along," the coach said.
Stolarz, who has won four straight games, appears to have established an edge in the race to be the Game 1 starter in the playoffs.
The 31-year-old is impressing teammates with his strong play and loud voice.
"He’s yelling all the time," said defenceman Chris Tanev. "You guys probably can’t hear him but during the game he’s yelling all the time. 'This guy's behind you!’ or 'Get out of my way!’ or whatever he’s thinking. We appreciate it. We appreciate that competitiveness. He’s been great for us."
Stolarz, who has played a career-high 30 games, is tied for third overall in the NHL with a .920 save percentage.
This is the third time that Stolarz will make consecutive starts since returning from injury. Woll has only started consecutive games once in this stretch.
Woll, who last played on Sunday in Anaheim, will be back in net early next week as the Leafs play a back-to-back set in Florida and Tampa Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"I’m going to have to split them the next two games, and then we’ll go from there," Berube said.
Woll has also set a career high in games played this season with 39, but his save percentage is .906.
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What kind of opponent is Tanev expecting on Saturday?
"Hungry," he said. "Desperate. I mean, they’ve kicked our ass twice."
The Jackets have won both previous games against the Leafs this season while outscoring Toronto 11-3.
Defenceman Zach Werenski leads the Jackets with 74 points in 73 games.
"He controls a lot of the game and sort of controls the pace of the game," said Tanev. "We need to do a good job checking him and make sure we’re on the right side of him and not giving them........
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