TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs have a goaltending issue, and they can no longer hide from it.
Anthony Stolarz — he of the juicy new contract extension and league’s best save percentage in 2024-25 — was pulled against the Boston Bruins Saturday night for the first time in his Leafs tenure due to poor performance.
Craig Berube has shown patience when it comes to his men in pads, and yanking a starter in the first half of a back-to-back is a rarity in the modern NHL.
So, it wasn’t just notable, it was a message when the head coach called Stolarz to the bench after he allowed two goals on the first two shots and four on the first 19 in a 5-3 home loss to a bitter rival.
“We all got to be better, including the goalie,” Berube said postgame, responding to a question that was not about the goalie. “For me, we caused all them goals ourselves.
“It’s frustrating. It is.”
The coaching staff is frustrated, watching 2024-25’s fourth-best save percentage team shrink to the bottom five. So stingy last season, Toronto now ranks 30th in goals allowed per game (3.7).
Management is frustrated, trying and giving up on depth options James Reimer and Cayden Primeau while patiently supporting Joseph Woll during his absence.
And Stolarz must be frustrated after seeing his record even out at 6-5-1 and watching his sparkling 2024-25 .926 save percentage tumble to .889.
“I got to bear down, make a save. I mean, giving up the first two shots? Not a good way to start the game,” said Stolarz, owning the rough moment. “When you give a team like that a couple freebies, it’s gonna be a tough hill to climb back from.”
After getting beat by David Pastrnak — who absolutely posterized defenceman Simon Benoit en route to Stolarz’s crease — Stolarz apologized to recently recalled backup Dennis Hildeby for the surprise action.
“He was awesome. I mean, I put him in a s— situation,” Stolarz said. “But he came in and handled it like a true pro and played well.”
Hildeby gave the Leafs a chance, but also let former teammate Fraser Minten snipe one past him for the insurance.
“Nerve-wracking to begin with. I had to battle with my breathing there and all that. But once I got into it, I had a lot of fun,” Hildeby said.
He could be in for some more fun in less than 24 hours, as the Leafs host contender Carolina.
Berube said he didn’t know Sunday’s starter yet.
Regardless, Toronto will now be leaning on a tired netminder. And, likely, one that will be tested due to the club’s penchant for neutral-zone turnovers and troublesome D-zone coverage.
John Tavares believes all these mistakes are “self-inflicted.”
Pick your punching bag.
The goalies are bailing them out enough; the skaters aren’t defending an overworked Stolarz enough.
“I don’t feel we’re as tight defensively as we were last year. I do feel that. I think there’s good stretches of it. Not enough,” Berube said. “(Minten’s) goal is just a turnover. I mean, I don’t know what you want the goalie to do on that play?”
Toronto designed its crease to be shared, and the 1A/1B plan served the Leafs well last winter. Berube believes Stolarz’s lopsided workload has contributed to his inconsistency. That fatigue has set in.
The eye test would concur.
Stolarz himself denies it. He says he trained hard all summer, aiming for a career-high in games played and feels strong physically.
Yes, with both the timeline and quality of Woll’s return still uncertain, and the Olympics-affected schedule relentless, the Maple Leafs have a goalie issue.
But to his credit, Stolarz isn’t ducking the problem.
“As the goalie, you’re the last line of defence, and your job is to step up and make a save. I didn’t do that tonight,” Stolarz said. He vowed to regroup and respond.
“It’s obviously not up to par. I mean, it seems like every night I’m giving up one or two you want back. But for me, it’s just life of a goalie. You have to put it behind you and just focus on the next game.”
Which may or may not be Sunday.
Fox’s Fast Five
• Good on Bobby McMann (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) sticking up for teammate Scott Laughton, who got absolutely trucked by Nikita Zadorov (6-foot-7, 255 pounds) coming down the wall.
Poor Laughton left the game — just his second since getting off IR with a foot injury — and suffered an upper-body injury. He won’t play Sunday, as the severity of his injury is unknown.
“I thought it was a head shot,” Berube said. “I mean, I got to take a closer look at it, but I will.”
McMann said he “didn’t love the hit” and that throwing down with a bigger foe is just part of the game.
“Sucks because you hate that side of the game,” McMann said of Laughton. “I hope he’s back soon.”
• Considering the sickening scene one week ago today — when Chris Tanev got stretchered off the ice in Philadelphia and spent one night in hospital due to a head/neck injury — it was surprising to see the defenceman back on the ice Saturday morning.
Just a solo twirl and no timeline for return, but an encouraging development.
“Every time I’ve talked to him since, he’s seemed just like himself,” Carlo said. “That’s what you like to see. He’s got bright eyes and a bushy tail in the morning.”
Tanev’s injury flashed Laughton back to when he got stretchered off in 2016 following a hard crash into the boards. Because Laughton didn’t dress in Philly last Saturday, he made sure to spend time with his teammate before Tanev was taken to the hospital.
“Give him a little bit of support. But it’s scary,” Laughton recalled. “It’s not a fun feeling when you’re off like that. So, I hope it’s a speedy recovery. He’s an amazing, amazing guy — and a guy you want to go to battle for and battle with every night.”
Toronto’s D-zone play against Boston was screaming for a Tanev type.
• Boston’s Morgan Geekie has already piled 11 goals and is tied for second place in the Rocket race, behind Cole Caufield, with Sidney Crosby and Cutter Gauthier.
Last season, Geekie didn’t pot his 11th until Jan. 18.
• Cayden Primeau, we hardly knew you.
The depth goaltender’s tenure in Toronto ended Saturday, when he was claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes (a team Dad Keith once captained) and sent to AHL Chicago. The 26-year-old leaves the Maple Leafs with a winning record (2-1) and an .838 save percentage.
Enter prospect Hildeby, who is 2-2-1 with an .890 save percentage for the Marlies this year.
He’ll help hold the fort until Woll feels ready for NHL action.
Woll was removed in his first conditioning start with the Marlies after 36 minutes of work against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That was planned. He stopped 21 of 24 shots (.875) and took a 3-2 loss.
• With Casey Mittlestadt going down to injury, call-up Alex Steeves made his Bruins debut in familiar territory.
Concerned about flight cancellations, the Bruins hired a car service to drive Steeves to Toronto from Cleveland, where the AHL Providence Bruins are playing this weekend. Must’ve been pricey.
“I’m not paying for it,” Steeves chuckled.
Steeves spent the past four seasons with the Marlies but popped up for 16 Leafs games, scored a goal in the show, and realized his NHL dream in this barn.
“Some of the best years of my life, honestly,” the 25-year-old said. “I still text with some of my buddies, mainly from the Marlies, every day. I never expected to get so close with guys.
“Four years on one team is a long time at this level, and really made some unbelievable friends and teammates, staff members. I love this city. Good food, good people, and all that stuff. I absolutely loved being a Marlie and loved being a Leaf, and it’s good to be back. It feels weird going back to the hotel and not my apartment right now.”
