Nick Robertson scored twice, while Anthony Stolarz made 30 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 Thursday in preseason action.
Robertson has scored five consecutive goals for Toronto dating back to Thursday’s preseason victory over the Montreal Canadiens. There were some that argued Robertson needed to earn his spot on the opening night roster, but he’s cemented his spot from the outset and now it’s just a matter of where he’ll slot into the lineup against the Canadiens on Wednesday night.
It was a terrific all-around game from Robertson, who continued to earn penalty kill minutes. On the shift where he recorded his first goal, Robertson broke up a dangerous Red Wings’ rush and when the Maple Leafs established their presence in the offensive third, he worked his way to the top of the circle and wired home a low shot for the 1-0 lead. Easton Cowan received the primary assist, faking a shot before feeding Robertson.
Robertson scored his second goal of the contest — his fifth consecutive goal for the Maple Leafs — off the rush, making a beeline to the net as Max Pacioretty lobbed a gentle pass onto his stick and he tucked it home past Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot.
Robertson was primarily paired alongside Pacioretty and David Kampf, driving the line in a terrific performance. He’s been Toronto’s training camp MVP, with Bobby McMann and Marshall Rifai trailing behind, and it’s unclear whether he’ll suit up Saturday night.
Stolarz set the tone on the opening shift of the game, when Max Pacioretty couldn’t corral a pass from Timothy Liljegren, as the Red Wings dished the puck out to Michael Rasmussen for a golden chance that was easily turned away. Stolarz is expected to form a tandem with presumptive starter Joseph Woll, but he will push for the de facto No. 1 role if he remains in this form when the regular season begins.
Stolarz took particular delight in tormenting former teammate Vladimir Tarasenko, robbing him during the first period with a flashy glove save.
And with the Maple Leafs preserving a tenuous 1-0 lead in the third frame, Stolarz went to work again with a terrific glove save. He’ll almost certainly be watching from the bench or the press box Saturday but entering the regular season, Toronto’s calculated bet on the Woll-Stolarz tandem looks like a clever venture.
Toronto plays its final preseason game against Detroit on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.
