Four wins in six games now for coach Craig Berube’s Maple Leafs.
In the 5-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs made short work of star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, chasing the veteran with four goals on 14 shots.
There was a little more to the Toronto victory than that.
Our takeaways:
STOLARZ THE MAN
Berube indicated on Monday morning that there was a chance that goaltender Joseph Woll could make his season debut on Tuesday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.
Let’s be honest: The Leafs haven’t missed Woll.
Not with the way that Anthony Stolarz has done his job in net, putting up a .938 save percentage in five games as Woll has recovered from groin tightness.
Stolarz made 32 saves in the win against Tampa, none bigger than when he pulled the puck off the goal line on Jake Guentzel’s attempt from the side of the net during a 5-on-3 Lightning power play in the second period. That came after saves on one-timers by Brandon Hagel and Victor Hedman, and not long before Matthew Knies scored on a breakaway to give the Leafs a four-goal lead.
“Benny (Simon Benoit) did a really good job of getting his stick, not allowing him to get that easy tap in,” Stolarz said. “And it’s desperation mode from there and try to keep it out of the net.”
Stolarz got a standing ovation from the crowd, which was into the game all night.
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“It swings momentum our way,” Stolarz said. “By the crowd getting into it, I think it shattered them a little bit and allowed us to kill it off.”
Later, a cheer of “Where is Stamkos” went up several times, in reference to the off-season departure of captain Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators. It’s not like Leafs crowds to flex their verbal muscles like that, and perhaps it’s just the start. Certainly, it does no harm for the home team.
Stolarz didn’t let an own-goal by Benoit bother him. It came late in the first when Toronto had a 1-0 lead. After Stolarz made a save on Nick Paul, Benoit slid into the net and took the puck with him.
“You don’t even think about it,” Stolarz said. “Part of the game, it’s going to happen. Benny’s just trying to make an effort there. It’s just one of those things where (stuff) happens. As a goalie, you forget it and just worry about the next shot.”
In Stolarz, the Leafs quickly are learning that he’s going make it awfully difficult for Woll to be the guy. If Woll can get back to being the kind of effective goalie he has been when healthy, even better. A one-two punch in net would suit the coaching staff just fine.
“I said at the beginning of the year that both goalies are going to see more net than they have in the past,” Berube said. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
It has been quite a nice run for Stolarz, starting with his play last season with the Florida Panthers, continuing with the Stanley Cup victory and now his first few weeks with the Leafs.
“It has been a pretty fun 14 months,” Stolarz said. “I just try to live in the moment and try to enjoy each and every day. It’s a privilege to play in this league, and we have such a good group here that makes it a lot of fun to come to the rink.
“Our mission is to do a lot of big things this year. I think games like tonight are a nice stepping stone the right direction.”
Count on Stolarz having a bigger say in that potential success than many of us were expecting when he signed a two-year contract with the Leafs. He has never played in more than 28 games in an NHL season. He could set a career-high in 2024-25 and the Leafs would be better for it.
WILLIE WONDERFUL
A two-goal night put William Nylander in a tie with Mitch Marner for the Leafs scoring lead with seven points each.
The line of Max Domi between Nylander and Bobby McMann has been meshing nicely, and remember when Mike Babcock used to say Marner, then still a youngster, could drive a line?
It’s same thing with Nylander now, and has been for a few seasons. Nylander was all over it again on Monday, leading the Leafs with 11 shot attempts. Only Auston Matthews, who scored a power-play goal in the second period, had more shots on goal than Nylander. Matthews had six, Nylander five.
“He had a ton of opportunities again,” Berube said of Nylander. “He’s skating really well, strong on pucks, getting to open ice and he’s looking to shoot.
“He has been strong defensively and in good position, and he broke some plays up with his stick. He had some good stick detail.”
Nylander has five goals in six games, putting him on pace for 68. His career high is 40, done twice.
“Sometimes that happens, sometimes those go in, sometimes they don’t,” Nylander said. “That’s just the way the game works. Lucky two went in today. Hopefully more go in tomorrow.”
TO THE MAX
Among the things that a coach finds pleasing: Watching a player who has been a healthy scratch come back and make an immediate impact.
That’s what Max Pacioretty did.
After sitting the previous two games, Pacioretty scored the Leafs’ fourth goal to send Vasilevskiy to the bench in favour of Jonas Johansson. Pacioretty also helped establish the Leafs forecheck early and finished the game with three hits.
Pacioretty picked the top corner on Vasilevskiy’s blocker side at 9:31 of the second after taking a pass from John Tavares.
“He was a good player for us, he was physical,” Berube said. “Had some big hits and strong. That goal, he’s a goal scorer. That’s what he does. He was an effective player.”
Ryan Reaves was a healthy scratch. It remains to be seen what Berube does with the lineup in Columbus, but you can Pacioretty will be raring to go again, never mind it will be the second game in 24 hours.
On the other side of it was Nick Robertson, who continues to be the lone Leafs forward who has played in every game but does not have a point.
Yet.
Robertson’s energy has never waned and he had five attempts against Tampa, with a couple of the oh-so-close variety.
Berube is not down on the 23-year-old, nor should he be.
“Nicky has put himself in some real good spots to put the puck in the net, and just misses a little bit,” Berube said. “The puck is bouncing on him a little bit, or just not clean enough.
“But he’s working and he’s getting to those areas and he’s getting the opportunities. I think it’s a little bit of luck not going his way, to be honest with you.”
For Robertson, it will come. His offensive talents dictate that his first goal can’t be far off.
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