Due to Thanksgiving weekend, I was unable to complete a Gazette Player of the Week on Saturday as planned. But with the first week of the regular season in the books, it’s worth taking a look back at the week that was and picking a standout performer.
To refresh your memory: The Leafs lost 1-0 to Montreal on Wednesday, then bounced back with a 4-2 win in New Jersey before beating Pittsburgh 4-2 in the Leafs home opener on Saturday. Early returns on the season indicate that the offense and power play may take a small step back, but team defense and structure both seemed vastly improved over the Sheldon Keefe teams of yore.
There were a few individual performances from the first week that stood out, but with several star players getting off to a slow start by their standards (Auston Matthews has no points), the Leafs first-week MVP is…
Anthony Stolarz, Goaltender
Stolarz was a big reason the Leafs only allowed 5 goals in their first 3 games. He debuted on Wednesday after presumptive starter Joseph Woll went down with an injury, and Stolarz was impressive, making 26 of a possible 27 saves. Stolarz was back at it Saturday, earning the win and making 21 saves on 23 shots. The standout performances leave him with a 1-1 record, a sparkling .940 save percentage, and a 1.54 goals against average. Going forward, he looks like a lock to start until Woll can go, with the capable Dennis Hildeby backing him up.
If Stolarz keeps this up does Woll come back as the backup?
It’s really hard to say. If his stats stay as they are it would be hard to bench him, so I assume he’ll start until his performance falters. Woll has never really proven himself as a starter so they don’t really “owe” it to him. What do you think?