Stolarz is off to a tremendous start with the Toronto Maple Leafs and his size seems to compensate for his lack of control of his own stick.
Anthony Stolarz has proven himself worthy in his early tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The goaltender made 29 saves to pick up his first shutout with the Maple Leafs this season, improving his record to 5-2-2 with an impressive .928 save percentage. Returning to the net on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild, after Joseph Woll started the previous two games, Stolarz had to be sharp, making 31 saves on 33 shots to help the Leafs salvage a point in an overtime loss.
In that game, Stolarz lost his stick by an unofficial count of six times. On one of those instances, he still managed to make a highlight-reel glove save off Ryan Hartman.
After the game, he admitted he needs to control his stick better but struck a different tone following his performance against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
“It’s just the way I play, the battle, the intensity. Teams are going to throw a lot of guys and bodies at me, and the time it takes to kind of get your stick and bring it around someone or bring it over someone, that’s kind of the difference between the puck going in and not,” Stolarz reasoned. “So I feel comfortable playing without it, and the pads nowadays kind of seal up, so there’s really no holes.”
At 6-foot-6, Stolarz’s size is a tremendous asset, allowing him to cover more net and reach pucks that might otherwise be out of range. Despite his height, Stolarz is remarkably agile, moving quickly across the crease and making sprawling saves that showcase his athleticism. Born in New Jersey, Stolarz bounced around the professional ranks before signing a two-year $5 million contract with Toronto this summer.
With Woll limited to just three games this season, Stolarz has taken advantage of the opportunity presented to him to take the net. It's really his to lose at this point.
Stolarz' .928 save percentage has him ranked fourth in the NHL among goalies who have played through at least 31.25 percent of their club's scheduled games.
