Eye-Opening Stat Reveals Who Should Be the Maple Leafs Playoff Starting Goaltender

With the Toronto Maple Leafs finally having the best goaltending they've had in years, their chance for the Stanley Cup is better than ever. Although they have hit a few snags here and there, a lot of the team's success hinges on who is in the crease.

But the the playoffs a whole different beast, the Leafs need to ride the hot hand and need to figure out one goaltender who can handle the pressure. Anthony Stolarz just won a Stanley Cup, but Joseph Woll was the reason Toronto held their own last season vs. Boston.

But some new stats show that perhaps Toronto should go with what got them nearly into the second round last season (if not for an unfortunate last-second injury) and go with Joseph Woll.

To say Woll has been good when it matters is a bit of an understatement. Being perfect in such critical times where teams are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at you is exactly the type of performance you need in the playoffs.

It's a more aggressive and relentless style of play in the postseason and if Woll can handle it during the regular season, it's a good sign he can for a potential 3-4 games in the playoffs.

Sometimes it feels like a tale of two goaltenders. Anthony Stolarz will come out of the gate hot, but as the game trudges on it seems he gets a bit comfortable and doesn't act with the same urgency.

Woll on the other hand might struggle to start (like he did in Vegas, leading to him being pulled) but even when he has a rough start, he tends to pick things up toward the end and clearly his numbers in crunch time are superb; he gets better the longer things go.

For a playoff structure that involves continuous overtime, that's huge. If Woll can shut the door in a first or second sudden death period then it gives Toronto a better chance of taking advantage of tired and weakened goalies at the other end.

This season, Woll has posted a 22-12-0 record with a 2.78 GAA and .905 SV% along with one shutout and recently signed a three-year, $11M extension as Toronto's goalie of the future.

Stolarz signed a two-year deal this past offseason and has posted a 13-6-3 record with a 2.33 GAA and .921 SV%; he missed over a month after dealing with some knee issues in December.

If Toronto wants to give themselves the best chance, they should start Joseph Woll in the playoffs. His track record in tough spots in spotless, and he deserves a chance to shine again.

But if he falters, the Maple Leafs can pivot to Anthony Stolarz.

Not a bad backup plan whatsoever.