<p><a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> goalie Anthony Stolarz recorded his second shutout of the season on <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/6-takeaways-toronto-maple-leafs-columbus-blue-jackets-nylander-robertson-knies-dominant-comprehensive-victory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets</a>.</p>
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<p>Stolarz stopped all 27 shots he faced against a desperate Blue Jackets team trying to punch their ticket to the playoffs to record his fifth consecutive victory.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our third period. I thought we were extremely disciplined, kinda didn&#8217;t sit back,&#8221; Stolarz said post-game. &#8220;We continued to forecheck them, press their D, and force them to turn pucks over. That allowed us to get open ice and score some goals. Defensively, I thought we were fantastic, we didn&#8217;t really give up any chances and the ones we did the guys were quick to get the puck out.&#8221;</p>
<p>The win, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/atlantic-division-notebook-lightning-stumble-sabres-senators-blank-panthers-canadiens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in combination with</a> a Florida Panthers regulation loss and a Tampa Bay Lightning shootout loss, resulted in the Leafs gaining a four-point lead in the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/atlantic-division-notebook-lightning-stumble-sabres-senators-blank-panthers-canadiens">Atlantic Division title race</a>. Toronto&#8217;s chances of clinching the division are at 79.5 percent via MoneyPuck, while there is an 84 percent chance it will face the Ottawa Senators <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/ranking-toronto-maple-leafs-potential-first-round-opponents">in the first round</a>.</p>
<p>Stolarz is more concerned about the remaining games on the regular season schedule at the moment than getting the shutout, but he felt happy that no pucks went past him.</p>
<p>&#8220;I mean, at this stage of the year it&#8217;s all about the two points and the wins. That&#8217;s the only thing we care about. We have a goal in mind and that&#8217;s to win the division. So it doesn&#8217;t matter if you win 1-0 or 7-6, as long as you get those two points.&#8221;</p>
<p>Head coach Craig Berube<a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-anthony-stolarz-start-columbus-blue-jackets-goaltending-rotation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> took a calculated risk</a> going into the game by giving Stolarz the start when conventional wisdom would have suggested that Joseph Woll would get his turn. His logic for straying away from the goalie rotation was to find some consistency with his netminders going forward in preparation for the playoffs where one of the two will be leaned on more often than not.</p>
<p>Stolarz made his coach&#8217;s bet pay off while putting himself in pole position to get the nod for Game 1 of the playoffs.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have been feeling good here lately the past couple of games. Curtis (Sanford) and I have been working hard in practice, just working on things around the crease, around the net, movement,&#8221; Stolarz said. &#8220;The guys did a great job of making my job easy tonight. I think the save of the game was <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/chris-tanev-breaks-toronto-maple-leafs-record-blocked-shots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tanny early on in the first.</a> They go back door and he blocks that one. Johnny right before that third goal we scored, I think he breaks up a play in the slot. It&#8217;s the attention to detail for us right now at both ends of the ice. Good defence is leading to good offence.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeafsForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeafsForever</a> Anthony Stolarz last 5 games: </p>
<p>NYR &#8211; W 3/30 .900 sv%<br />PHI &#8211; W 2/19 .895 sv%<br />LAK &#8211; W 1/36 .972 sv%<br />FLA &#8211; W 2/31 .935 sv%<br />CLB &#8211; W 0/27 1.000 sv%</p>
<p>Your playoff goalie <a href="https://t.co/LEwBykPXel">pic.twitter.com/LEwBykPXel</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MatthewsFan (@Matthewsfan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Matthewsfan_/status/1908695485197754754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Although Stolarz and Woll were starting to regress a bit in recent weeks, things are starting to click for them right now. The former may be primed to get the start in the playoffs but the latter will be right there in case Stolarz starts to slip or the Leafs need a shakeup.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think both goalies had a dip for a bit, but I think both of them are pretty dialled in right now,&#8221; Berube said. &#8220;Stoly again tonight was solid. Just making the saves that he needs to make. He looks comfortable in the net. When I see him come out, playing pucks, and moving it, I see him comfortable. He is tracking the puck and stuff like that is what I see out of him. He was solid tonight for us.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I like to not be the typical goalie, you know, like, the weirdo. I like to hang out with the guys off the ice, so hopefully, I don’t fit that stereotype,&#8221; Stolarz said. “As soon as I suit up the pads, I just want to win. That’s all I care about, one of the main reasons I wanted to sign here.&#8221;</p>
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<a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> goalie Anthony Stolarz recorded his second shutout of the season on <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/6-takeaways-toronto-maple-leafs-columbus-blue-jackets-nylander-robertson-knies-dominant-comprehensive-victory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets</a>.
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Stolarz stopped all 27 shots he faced against a desperate Blue Jackets team trying to punch their ticket to the playoffs to record his fifth consecutive victory.

"Our third period. I thought we were extremely disciplined, kinda didn't sit back," Stolarz said post-game. "We continued to forecheck them, press their D, and force them to turn pucks over. That allowed us to get open ice and score some goals. Defensively, I thought we were fantastic, we didn't really give up any chances and the ones we did the guys were quick to get the puck out."

The win, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/atlantic-division-notebook-lightning-stumble-sabres-senators-blank-panthers-canadiens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in combination with</a> a Florida Panthers regulation loss and a Tampa Bay Lightning shootout loss, resulted in the Leafs gaining a four-point lead in the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/atlantic-division-notebook-lightning-stumble-sabres-senators-blank-panthers-canadiens">Atlantic Division title race</a>. Toronto's chances of clinching the division are at 79.5 percent via MoneyPuck, while there is an 84 percent chance it will face the Ottawa Senators <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/ranking-toronto-maple-leafs-potential-first-round-opponents">in the first round</a>.

Stolarz is more concerned about the remaining games on the regular season schedule at the moment than getting the shutout, but he felt happy that no pucks went past him.

"I mean, at this stage of the year it's all about the two points and the wins. That's the only thing we care about. We have a goal in mind and that's to win the division. So it doesn't matter if you win 1-0 or 7-6, as long as you get those two points."

Head coach Craig Berube<a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-anthony-stolarz-start-columbus-blue-jackets-goaltending-rotation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> took a calculated risk</a> going into the game by giving Stolarz the start when conventional wisdom would have suggested that Joseph Woll would get his turn. His logic for straying away from the goalie rotation was to find some consistency with his netminders going forward in preparation for the playoffs where one of the two will be leaned on more often than not.

Stolarz made his coach's bet pay off while putting himself in pole position to get the nod for Game 1 of the playoffs.

"I have been feeling good here lately the past couple of games. Curtis (Sanford) and I have been working hard in practice, just working on things around the crease, around the net, movement," Stolarz said. "The guys did a great job of making my job easy tonight. I think the save of the game was <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/chris-tanev-breaks-toronto-maple-leafs-record-blocked-shots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tanny early on in the first.</a> They go back door and he blocks that one. Johnny right before that third goal we scored, I think he breaks up a play in the slot. It's the attention to detail for us right now at both ends of the ice. Good defence is leading to good offence."

https://twitter.com/Matthewsfan_/status/1908695485197754754

Although Stolarz and Woll were starting to regress a bit in recent weeks, things are starting to click for them right now. The former may be primed to get the start in the playoffs but the latter will be right there in case Stolarz starts to slip or the Leafs need a shakeup.

"I think both goalies had a dip for a bit, but I think both of them are pretty dialled in right now," Berube said. "Stoly again tonight was solid. Just making the saves that he needs to make. He looks comfortable in the net. When I see him come out, playing pucks, and moving it, I see him comfortable. He is tracking the puck and stuff like that is what I see out of him. He was solid tonight for us."

"I like to not be the typical goalie, you know, like, the weirdo. I like to hang out with the guys off the ice, so hopefully, I don’t fit that stereotype," Stolarz said. “As soon as I suit up the pads, I just want to win. That’s all I care about, one of the main reasons I wanted to sign here."
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