Craig Berube Reveals Maple Leafs Goaltending Strategy for the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Head coach Craig Berube gave a bit of insight into his game plan heading into the playoffs, at least when it comes to his goaltending situation.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs pretty much up for anyone's taking in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a very good chance of making a strong push to make it past the first two rounds, especially if they get a big piece at the deadline.
A lot of it is going to come down to their goaltending, which has been such a bright spot this season it's weird how it took this long to get it figured out.
Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have been spectacular, but the question remains: Who is going to lead the team in the playoffs?
Head coach Craig Berube seems to have an idea about how his tandem is going to work out, and while he would love to see both men shine, he relents that it's coming down to one guy, we just don't know who yet:
With one guy going to take the necessary charge, let's take a look at who would be the best option for Toronto.
Anthony Stolarz Or Joseph Woll: Who Takes Charge?
It would be great if the Maple Leafs could have an equal split between both men, so that not only is the workload a bit more balanced, but it helps a bit with the potential injury concerns both men have history with.
Before he was hurt and absent for over a month, Anthony Stolarz was one of the best goalies in the league, and looked poised to take the #1 spot easily. Woll stepped up and performed admirably even with the extended workload.
But he also had some real shaky moments and there were times where it looked like Woll was still figuring a couple of things out, and the team can't afford to have any lapses during the playoffs.
This season, Stolarz has a 13-5-2 record with a 2.21 GAA and .927 SV% and is coming off a Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers last year, so he has the ability to play in high pressure situations.
Stolarz was taking the #1 spot earlier this season and there's no reason why he shouldn't at least be the starter heading into the playoffs. We know that Woll can perform in the playoffs, so if Stolarz falters it's not like they have a terrible backup plan.
Woll as stated before, has taken the bulk of the starts for the Leafs this season. He's posted a 20-11-0 with a 2.63 GAA and .910 SV% and shown that he has the capability to be one of the NHL's best, but he hasn't hit that level just yet.
Whether it's Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz, the only thing that matters is that for the first time in over 20 years the Maple Leafs have strong goaltending. That should be a win in and of itself.
But a Stanley Cup wouldn't hurt either.
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