The door has been left open for the return of Anthony Stolarz to the Maple Leafs net.
Following their game in Calgary against the Flames on Tuesday night, the Leafs were scheduled to travel to Seattle and practise there on Wednesday in preparation for their game on Thursday night against the Kraken.
“Stolarz is an option (for Seattle),” Leafs coach Craig Berube told media in Calgary. “I think it’s more about getting work in practice a little bit more. Shooting, traffic, all that kind of stuff, the timing side of it. He’s not quite there yet.”
When it does come, the next start for Stolarz will be his first since Dec. 12. A week after he departed that game against the Anaheim Ducks, Stolarz underwent a knee procedure in New York.
During his time away, Stolarz’s .927 save percentage remained tops in the National Hockey League until this week, when he came under the required number of games to qualify among the leaders. That was at 18 on Tuesday. Stolarz has played in 17 games.
The Leafs have been anticipating getting Stolarz back for a while. When he and Joseph Woll are locked in, they form one of the top tandems in the NHL.
“Stolie, the first couple of months of the year was just incredible the way he has played for us,” Leafs centre John Tavares said. “The way he has blended into the locker room and the way he competes out there is exceptional.
“Not just the way he saves the puck, but the way he communicates and is barking at the guys, keeping us all dialled in that way. (We have) tremendous depth in the position so we’re excited when he gets the opportunity again.”
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BACK AT IT
After missing six games with a lower-body injury, Tavares was glad to play nearly 20 minutes on Saturday in Edmonton in the Leafs’ 4-3 win.
“That kind of game was great for me,” Tavares said. “It throws you right into the fire and there is no choice but to go out there and play and focus on what you have to do to execute and not worry too much about how you’re feeling.
“(You’re) adapting when you miss around 2 1/2 weeks, different things that you’re dealing with from the rehab and therapy standpoint, getting your game back up to speed.”
Tavares was hurt in practice on Jan. 15 when he got tangled up with teammate Chris Tanev during a drill.
Tavares, who had 19 minutes 54 seconds of ice time, had an assist in his return against the Oilers.
“Probably used him a little bit too much more than I wanted to, but he looked fine to me,” Berube said.
BEARS WATCHING
If you think the Leafs aren’t glancing at the standings every so often, take another guess.
Going into their road game on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Ottawa Senators had won five in a row and were two points behind the Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division, though Toronto has a game in hand.
And the Leafs were three points back of the division-leading Florida Panthers, who visited the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
“The league is so tight now,” Tanev said. “Win one, lose one, the standings change quite dramatically. It’s three games to the (4 Nations Face-Off) break and they are all extremely important.”
The Leafs’ four-game trip concludes on Saturday in Vancouver against the Canucks following Toronto’s Thursday stop in Seattle.
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