Why the Maple Leafs' No. 1 goalie job belongs to Anthony Stolarz — for now

TORONTO — After David Pastrňák — the same Boston Bruins winger who has a longstanding habit of hurting the Toronto Maple Leafs — came crashing into Anthony Stolarz on Tuesday night, there was a moment when thousands of fans inside Scotiabank Arena probably held their breath.

Stolarz was without a stick as Pastrňák tried to jam a shot past him. Pastrňák crashed into the Leafs goalie’s head, undoubtedly raising concerns about a position recently associated with injuries in Toronto.

But instead, the Leafs goalie stood up unscathed, making one of his 29 saves in a 4-0 win over the Bruins. It was Stolarz’s first shutout as a Leaf. The Leafs had previously gone winless in their last eight regular season games against the Bruins.

And as all 6-foot-6 of Stolarz emerged from a pile, he likely did so with the Leafs starter’s job firmly his for the first time this season.

By the final whistle, the offseason free agent signing earned a rare moment in the spotlight — those same fans chanted Stolarz’s name. The 30-year-old longtime backup is on track to eclipse his previous high of 28 games played in a single season.

“(Stolarz) has been doing this all year for us in that net,” Mitch Marner said. “It definitely could have been a different game or a different score without him.”

Against the Bruins, Stolarz looked like the kind of starting goalie the Leafs have lacked in past seasons. He had brief injury scares, including taking a shot just below his mask that left him on the ice, but stayed healthy and in the game. Stolarz’s movement was composed and never erratic. When he stretched to make athletic saves — some of which kept the Leafs in the game early on — he quickly recovered his position to follow up with important saves afterward. You had to squint to find the moments when he looked out of control of the game.

“Our most complete game of the year,” Stolarz said confidently after the game.

Both mentally and physically, Stolarz looked in command against a team the Leafs have long suffered against.

This is a stark contrast to the likes of Ilya Samsonov and Jack Campbell, who never inspired total confidence as full-time starters in Toronto.

“(Stolarz) has played more than well enough for us to win,” William Nylander said.

And so at least for the time being, it feels like Craig Berube should continue to turn to Stolarz in the Leafs’ biggest games. His team is still in search of consistency after an up-and-down start to the season. Rolling with one of his few players who has delivered reliable results could do three things for Berube: It would reward a player for elevated performance. It could inspire a sense of confidence for the team playing in front of Stolarz. And inadvertently, it would put pressure on Joseph Woll to raise his game.

Coming into this season, Woll seemed to have pole position on the starter’s job, given his upside and a newly signed three-year extension that made him Toronto’s goalie of the future.

Instead, a groin injury Woll suffered just before the season has led to Stolarz getting the lion’s share of starts. And Stolarz’s .958 five-on-five save percentage has likely created some separation between the two Leafs goalies in terms of who gets more starts in the short term.

An understated element of Stolarz’s early success? He’s walked into a room of faces he’s been largely unfamiliar with and quickly made himself at home. Stolarz can often be seen chatting with teammates in a relaxed, affable manner. After his first shutout as a Leaf, Stolarz and Woll spoke at length about what Stolarz himself saw in the game.

“This guy’s teammates, they literally love him,” former Anaheim Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of Stolarz.

There have been virtually no stumbles as Stolarz tries to find his footing in a new city. It can be challenging for any player to adapt to new surroundings and play their best hockey in the process. Those challenges can be exacerbated in a market like Toronto, where the attention and noise can be heightened.

Stolarz has brushed off those challenges.

“(Stolarz) is the same as he’s always been — always dialed, always a big goalie in the net, always working his ass off,” said Simon Benoît, a teammate of Stolarz with both the Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

There is a steadiness in Stolarz’s attitude reflected in his performance. He’s been able to maintain a level head this season in part because of past challenges. A previous series of gruelling injuries nearly derailed Stolarz’s career. That he’s been able to battle back has provided him with the kind of mental perseverance NHL teams need in a starter.

“That’s why he’s such a good teammate to be around. He’s been through it, he knows what it takes and how strong you have to be mentally to overcome things,” Benoît said. “When you don’t have it easy, it creates something different in you, right?”

The difference so far for Stolarz has been his consistency, as evidenced against the Bruins. In nine starts for the Leafs, he’s allowed two or fewer goals in seven of those games. And even in the two games where Stolarz allowed more than two goals, the Leafs still came away with three total points.

And it’s that consistency that is undoubtedly appealing to Berube right now as the Leafs learn his way of playing.

“Going back to last year and the season (Stolarz) had, if you look at his numbers over (27) games, he played extremely well,” Berube said after Tuesday’s game. “He has been around a while. He has really learned how to be a good goalie in the league and understands what he needs to do in net to be successful. He has shown it now, but he showed it all last year, too.”

So what does Stolarz’s success mean for Woll in the near future?

Stolarz’s play will make for genuine competition between the Leafs’ two goalies, and there could be more and more pressure on Woll to stay healthy and deliver when it matters. Any leeway for Woll might be shortened if Stolarz continues to play the way he has.

Of course, Woll has only played three games this season since returning from injury. He’s no less talented a goalie because of Stolarz’s emergence. Woll may respond by putting up the kind of high-end performances that saved the Leafs’ last two playoff series.

That could be a good thing for the Leafs. This healthy competition for playing time is not dissimilar to the competition GM Brad Treliving and Berube designed for their forward group ahead of the season.

For now, Stolarz is looking like a bargain of an offseason signing for Treliving and the Leafs. His five-on-five save percentage is second in the NHL among starters, eclipsing goalies whose AAV is far higher than Stolarz’s $2.5 million cap hit this season.

He’s giving the Leafs what they’ve long needed: a regular-season win against the Bruins and the stability in goal only a true No. 1 starter can provide.

(Top photo: Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)