Anthony Stolarz stopped 26 of 28 in Vancouver Saturday night, and the Maple Leafs now have a real goalie question.
Toronto beat the Canucks 4-2, with Stolarz going the full 60:00 for the win. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Teddy Blueger and Zack MacEwen scored, and MacEwen's goal stood as the game-winner.
Vancouver's Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves on 27 shots in the loss. Brock Boeser scored for the Canucks on the power play.
Next up is Tuesday against Utah. The Mammoth, coached by Andre Tourigny, are 9-5-0 and play at Philadelphia later today.
| Date | Opp. | Result | In net | SV | SH | SV% |
| Oct 31 | at VAN | W 4-2 | Stolarz | 26 | 28 | .929 |
| Oct 28 | at SEA | L 4-5 | Bobrovsky | 12 | 17 | .706 |
| Oct 26 | at CGY | L 2-5 | Bobrovsky | 29 | 32 | .906 |
| Oct 24 | at EDM | W 7-2 | Stolarz | 30 | 32 | .938 |
| Oct 22 | vs NYR | W 5-4 | Bobrovsky | 21 | 25 | .840 |
| Oct 20 | at CLB | W 6-2 | Stolarz | 36 | 38 | .947 |
| Oct 19 | vs SJ | W 3-1 | Bobrovsky | 30 | 31 | .968 |
| Oct 17 | vs NYI | L 1-4 | Bobrovsky | 16 | 19 | .842 |
| Oct 15 | vs BUF | L 4-5 OT | Bobrovsky | 30 | 35 | .857 |
| Oct 13 | at UTA | L 4-5 | Stolarz | 23 | 28 | .821 |
The workload split is lopsided. Sergei Bobrovsky has played 10 games this season and Stolarz has played six, and the 38-year-old is the one whose starts have drawn the scrutiny.
That scrutiny peaked after Seattle. General manager John Chayka made a point of backing Sergei Bobrovsky after the Seattle loss, which tells you where the front office stands on its big goaltending investment.
Coach Jim Hiller has to decide how long that patience extends into the schedule. Stolarz just handed him a clean win on the road, and sending Bobrovsky back out Tuesday against a Utah team that keeps winning looks like the wrong read of the room.
Stolarz workload could shape the Leafs goalie plan
The risk runs both ways. A 32-year-old who stands 6'6 can carry more games, but the more he plays, the more the Leafs lean on a single healthy body.
Leafs Updates noted that Stolarz has been the better goalie, but that overplaying him carries injury risk.
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The same post expects Bobrovsky to get Utah on Tuesday. That assumption fits the usual rhythm, yet it ignores how Sergei Bobrovsky's rough run of Maple Leafs starts has already tested the room.
Bobrovsky settling in as an average goalie would ease everything, according to Leafs Updates. Average from him would let Hiller spread the games and keep Stolarz fresh.
| Goalie | GP | W | L | OL | SV | SH | SV% | GAA |
| Anthony Stolarz | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 162 | 178 | .910 | 2.66 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 255 | 288 | .885 | 3.29 |
Nobody in Toronto is asking for brilliance. They need Tuesday's starter to give the offense a chance, because the skaters showed in Vancouver they can score four when the crease holds up.
Utah arrives Tuesday, and Hiller's choice of starter will say a lot about how much trust Bobrovsky has left.
Should Jim Hiller start Anthony Stolarz over Sergei Bobrovsky against Utah on Tuesday?
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