Maple Leafs Goaltender Officially Ruled Out vs. the New York Rangers
The Toronto Maple Leafs head into New York on Friday night in a pivotal game that can give them some much needed momentum, but will be without one key player.
Riding a three-game win streak, the Maple Leafs will head to historic Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers in a battle of Original Six teams as Toronto tries to gain some much-needed extra momentum.
They've already announced they will be without Max Pacioretty who is on the IR as of Friday, and according to reports it seems that they will need to rely on Anthony Stolarz in net once again as Joseph Woll is dealing with an illness.
The team calling on Stolarz will put him to the grind after a stressful and testy Boston Bruins game that went to overtime.
He's been great since returning from injury, and these back to back starts will be a solid litmus test for how a potential playoff series might go.
This season, Stolarz has been fantastic posting a 12-5-2 record along with a 2.23 GAA and .926 SV% and one shutout.
It's a good thing Woll isn't dealing with anything serious and it's just whatever winter illness is kicking about. Toronto can't afford any injuries considering what they're dealing with and have dealt with all season.
Woll has shouldered the bulk of the load due to Stolarz missing over a month due to a knee injury. This season, the young goaltender has posted a 20-11-0 record with a 2.63 GAA and .910 SV% along with one shutout as well.
What's Next For The Maple Leafs Ahead Of Trade Deadline
After a stop in New York, Toronto heads to Pittsburgh on Sunday before heading back home on Monday against the lowly San Jose Sharks. If the team can get a win in New York and keep things going their next two, it sets them firmly in line for their next slate of games.
They play Vegas, Colorado, Utah, Florida, and Ottawa over their next five and while Utah and Colorado may be a bit easier opponents comparatively; Vegas, Florida, and Ottawa pose the biggest threats.
Vegas is atop the Pacific Division and look like genuine Stanley Cup contenders, meanwhile Florida is neck and neck with the Leafs for top spot in the Atlantic; and Ottawa has notoriously been a thorn in Toronto's side historically.
The team does have one of the easier schedules in the NHL however if they want to make sure they keep pace and give themselves a fighting chance then they can't take the foot off the gas pedal.
The Rangers and Maple Leafs will do battle at MSG on Friday night, with the game scheduled to start at 7PM ET.
