March 15, 2025 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a key stop against the Ottawa Senators during first-period action at Scotiabank Arena. Image credit: Dan Hamilton – Imagn Images.
With just two games left in the regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the brink of capturing their first Atlantic Division title since the 1999-2000 campaign—excluding the 2020 season’s all-Canadian division setup.
A potential division crown wouldn’t be possible without stellar performances from several core players. Mitch Marner is nearing the 100-point milestone for the first time in his career while also excelling defensively. William Nylander has notched a personal-best 44 goals, and John Tavares has been red-hot since the league resumed after the 4 Nations break, ranking third in goals scored (16) during that stretch. Meanwhile, rookie standout Matthew Knies has emerged as a premier power forward, sitting just one goal shy of 30 with 55 points total.
While the race for the Leafs’ regular season MVP is competitive, one name that deserves more recognition is Anthony Stolarz. Despite being limited to 33 games due to a knee injury in December that sidelined him for over a month, Stolarz has delivered elite goaltending when healthy.
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Anthony Stolarz: Quietly Dominant Between the Pipes
Stolarz ranks fourth in the league in goals-against average and second in save percentage—numbers he’s maintained consistently throughout the year. Even within Craig Berube’s defense-first system, Toronto still ranks 16th in shots allowed per game (per MoneyPuck.com), making the job between the pipes anything but easy. Still, Stolarz has risen to the challenge, proving himself invaluable to the Leafs’ success this season.
