Anthony Stolarz Reveals Why He Chose to Sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Photo credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
First-year Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who signed from the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers during the summer, explains why he joined Toronto.
The Toronto Maple Leafs chose not to bring back goaltender Ilya Samsonov after two years with the franchise, meaning that they had an opening between the pipes.
They filled that by signing Anthony Stolarz, who was a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers last year. He's formed a strong tandem with starter Joseph Woll, and the pair have become the first 25-15 win duo in Toronto history.
Stolarz recently explained why he chose to sign with the Maple Leafs - winning.
I like to not be the typical goalie. You know, like, the weirdo. I like to hang out with all the guys off the ice.... But 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.
That's all I care about. One of the main reasons I wanted to sign here.
Stolarz beat the Panthers 3-2 before earning a 2nd straight start, picking up a shutout in his club's 5-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
When asked why he started Stolarz in consecutive games, head coach Craig Berube explained he was looking for consistency.
I liked his last game a lot. And I just think I can get him into consecutive games. Then we have a back-to-back series against Florida teams.
Really, that's all the thinking going into it was. I was just trying to find a little consistency here moving forward as we go along. I'm going to have to split them the next two games, and then we'll go from there.
Really, that's all the thinking going into it was. I was just trying to find a little consistency here moving forward as we go along. I'm going to have to split them the next two games, and then we'll go from there.
So far in his first year with the Maple Leafs, Stolarzhas gone 18-8-3 with a 2.26 GAA and .922 SV%; he also has 2 shutouts.
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AVRIL 6 | 578 ANSWERS Anthony Stolarz Reveals Why He Chose to Sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs Do you think Anthony Stolarz will be the starter for the Maple Leafs in Game One? | ||
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