FORT LAUDERDALE — The Toronto Maple Leafs will begin Joseph Woll in aim once they go to thre Florida Panthers at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment on Tuesday. With the Maple Leafs having video games on back-to-back nights, it was anticipated they’d break up duties between Woll and Anthony Stolarz. Nonetheless, Maple Leads head coach Craig Berube defined why he didn't go together with Stolarz in opposition to his former membership.
"Effectively Stolarz has seen him thrice this 12 months so we switched it up," Berube defined.
Joseph Woll is within the visiting web right here for morning skate and is the projected starter in opposition to the Panthers tonight. @BodogCApic.twitter.com/tzcblxglj7
— David Alter (@dalter) April 8, 2025
Stolarz served because the back-up for the Panthers final season throughout their 2024 Stanley Cup Championship. After that, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Maple Leafs.
Up to now, Stolarz has had a stellar first season with Toronto. In his final three begins, the goaltender has posted a .978 save proportion and had a 27-save shutout in a 5-0 win in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Apr. 5.
Woll has struggled in March, nevertheless, he had a powerful efficiency in his final begin, a 3-2 win in opposition to the Anaheim Geese on Mar. 30 the place he made 29 saves on 31 pictures.
Stolarz already had his welcome-back second in Florida when he obtained the beginning again in November.
With the playoffs across the nook, it's seemingly trying just like the job in web is Stolarz' to lose. With a career-high 31 video games with Toronto and a .922 save proportion, that appears evident. However Woll will get a minimum of a few begins with one other collection of back-to-back video games developing on the finish of the week.
What else did Berube talk about?
With the Panthers presumably being an opponent to the Leafs within the post-season, Berube centered on what the Leafs did effectively in opposition to them of their earlier assembly.
"We've obtained to have persistence taking part in this crew as a result of they examine extraordinarily effectively. They're in your face, you recognize, extraordinarily effectively and there's not a number of room. So that you're going to should be affected person. Easy puck performs are necessary tonight. Placing pucks in behind them, getting pucks out of your zone, these little issues are essential. And we did an actual good job of it for all the sport, I believed. And we obtained a pair good alternatives within the third interval and capitalized on them. There's a number of good issues we did effectively taking part in them, however these are key for me."
Q: How shut is your crew to being playoff-ready proper now?
*Laughs* Effectively, I believe they're shut. I believe we've been taking part in significant video games for fairly a while now. And going into tonight, it's one other significant recreation. And the following day. These are necessary, in my view, going into the playoffs.
Q: Do you have a look at these upcoming video games as playoff previews, or are you simply making an attempt to maintain the deal with what you guys must do?
Yeah, I stated it yesterday. Concentrate on our crew and what we have to do and issues that we'll preserve enhancing on and harping on about how we have to play. We all know what Florida's all about and the way they play, and that's not going to alter. And so I simply deal with our crew.
Q: Mitch (Marner) is absolutely near 100 factors. It's inside attain. What's your sense of what that milestone would imply so that you can get in?
Effectively, I imply, it's like a man scoring 50 targets, and, you recognize, it means loads to the participant, particular person, and, you recognize, and to our crew and to the group. You recognize, he's simply obtained to ensure he stays within the second with issues and performs the precise manner, and the factors will come. He's an excellent participant. He has the flexibility to do a number of good issues, So that you've simply obtained to remain centered and simply preserve taking part in his recreation and deal with taking part in the crew recreation.
Q: (Aleksander) Barkov's again tonight. How a lot does it change?
Effectively, he's an incredible participant. He's among the best 200-foot gamers within the Nationwide Hockey League. So he's troublesome. He's a tough opponent to go in opposition to, Whoever on the market in opposition to him And he makes their energy play higher. He makes their penalty kill higher. and he makes their 5-on-5 recreation higher.
Q: That final recreation, which was the second half of the back-to-back for Florida, you bought the 2 back-to-backs this week and the optionally available apply yesterday. How difficult is it when you’ve got all these back-to-backs?
Effectively, that was one of many causes we selected to, effectively, we had a day without work Sunday after which Monday they’d the choice. Staying off, or doing one thing within the fitness center or occurring the ice for sort of a ability session. We've obtained two units of back-to-backs developing right here. So beginning tonight and one on the weekend. So a number of hockey, a number of hockey. So relaxation is necessary. And, you recognize, that's a method we will do it.
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