The next 3 games are going to be big in terms of where the Leafs sit in the standings early in the season. It’s a long year, so it’s wise not to panic, but with bouts against the Wings, Habs and Senators coming up, they could really give themselves a foothold on 2nd place in the Atlantic with a few strong showings.
On paper there’s nothing stopping that from happening. Their opponents are 5th, 8th and 7th in the division, respectively. With this team it’s anybody’s guess though. They could drop all 3 games and get outscored by 20 goals along the way, or pitch 3 shutouts in a row while scoring 20 goals of their own. Consistently inconsistent, year in, year out, is the only way to describe this team.
With that said, the most consistent player so far this year has been Anthony Stolarz. With a sparkling 2.12GAA and 0.928SV% over his first 9 starts as a Leaf, Stolarz has, essentially, settled in as the teams starting goalie early in the year. Again, it’s a long season and Joseph Woll is a very solid goalie when he’s healthy, so it should be a battle for the crease all year, but if Stolarz continues to do what he has so far, he’ll be tough to displace as the go-to guy in between the pipes.
The Leafs climbed a few places in the powerplay percentage category after their win against Boston on Tuesday, thanks to 3 powerplay markers. They managed that without Auston Matthews, who is questionable for this weekend, so you have to hope that they can continue to cash in with the man advantage while their captain is sidelined. William Nylander and Matthews Knies were standouts on the powerplay, with Knies making life in front of the Bruins net a little more difficult than usual. According to Stolarz he has been asking how to make himself bigger and looking for techniques to improve his play in front of the net, which is also very positive. They need to sign Knies long term before he joins the $11M club, because they desperately need that type of size and strength in their top 6.
Enjoy the games. Go Leafs Go!!