Goaltending competition has played out as Leafs hoped it would
When Stolarz went down with an early-season injury after his hot start, the Leafs turned to Joseph Woll to carry the load. He didn't disappoint. He, too, established a new career-high with 41 games played.
Both have pushed each other to new heights, exactly as Leafs management hoped it would play out. They have mostly rotated the starting role when healthy, as they each navigated an increased workload.
Woll has also starred in prior postseasons. His numbers in seven appearances (four starts) have been outstanding. The Leafs inability to score a second goal during Game 7 stopped him from leading the team to a remarkable comeback during last year's first-round series against the Boston Bruins.
Goaltending is the most critical area where the Maple Leafs are vastly improved from previous postseason editions. Soft, soul-crushing goals against at inopportune times were common when the likes of Frederik Andersen, Jack Campbell, or Ilya Samsonov minded the net in prior seasons. The dynamic duo of Stolarz and Woll has shown that it should no longer be an issue.
Leafs key players are healthy
Last year's playoffs saw the Maple Leafs hit hard with injuries to key players. Marner dealt with a late-season high ankle sprain. He did dress in all seven playoff games, but with limited effectiveness. It's hard to believe the ankle injury wasn't partially to blame.
Matthews dominated the Bruins in a Game 2 victory for the Leafs. He was later felled by a mysterious ailment/upper-body injury that saw him miss Games 5 and 6, returning for Game 7.
Earlier in the series, forty-goal scorer William Nylander was absent for the first three games, suffering from migraine headaches. He later returned for the remaining four games, scoring three times, but the Leafs could have used his game-breaking ability earlier in the series.
A less heralded absence was winger Bobby McMann. The breakout, power forward scored 15 goals in just 56 games during last year's regular season. He missed the final two games before the playoffs started with a lower-body injury. He never did suit up for a playoff game.
McMann and Matthew Knies bring heft to the Leafs forward units. They are the type of players suited for playoff-style hockey.
Despite being hit with so many injuries to key performers, the Maple Leafs were one goal away from advancing to Round 2. It bodes well for this season's playoff chances that all of those players are relatively healthy to start the postseason.