Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will be on the bench tonight against the Nashville Predators as Anthony Stolarz gets the start.
Given Bobrovsky's $7 million annual salary, it was expected that he would be the starting goalie. After all, he has two Stanley Cups to his name and has proven time and time again that he can handle a heavy workload, even in his late 30s.
However, after two losses to start the season, Bob has a goals-against average of 3.06 and a save percentage of .887. While it is a small sample size, this isn't going to be good enough to actually win games.
As Mark Masters reports, the Leafs are going with Stolarz tonight, who was excellent in a win against the New York Islanders. Meanwhile, Jim Hiller has stated that Stolarz's start tonight was always part of the preseason plan.
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Regardless of whether or not Bobrovsky's situation was part of the plan, or simply a reaction to his first two games, it has become clear that the organization is sending a direct message to the goaltender.
The Maple Leafs want to wait and see
The Maple Leafs do not want Bobrovsky or Stolarz to be the starter right now. Instead, they are looking to have them share the net, and whoever shows a hot hand after a large enough sample size will be given the reins.
Once again, given Bobrovsky's track record, this is actually a bit of a surprise. You'd think Bob would be playing after so many days off. Instead, Hiller wants Stolarz to stay fresh.
Bobrovsky and Stolarz have both dealt with injuries, so perhaps this is a ploy to keep both of them healthy until later in the season, when the playoffs are in view.
At a record of 1-2-0, the Leafs can't just keep things the same and then hope that it will all work out. While Stolarz going in tonight is a surprise, maybe it actually shouldn't be.
The goaltending situation last season with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz was defined by injury and a lack of confidence.
It is a problem that the Leafs cannot afford this season, and Jim Hiller appears to be keen on managing it to the best of his ability.
Do you believe Anthony Stolarz is better than Sergei Bobrovsky right now?
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