Anthony Stolarz starting tonight shows disconnect between Leafs and their fans

It was announced this morning that the Toronto Maple Leafs will start Anthony Stolarz tonight for the first time since Nov. 11.

Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the long-awaited return of Mitch Marner to the city he grew up in against the team he was drafted by.

Although the players continue (and rightly) to say it's just another game, to a large group of the fan base, this isn't just another game.

The Golden Knights made it clear in the post-game press conferences that they wanted to beat the Leafs for Marner in their last game. Tonight, back in Toronto, there's no reason to believe they'd feel any less strongly about that.

Why is Stolarz starting an issue?

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that the Leafs are getting Stolarz back. He's a good goaltender and will help this team win games this year, but he hasn't seen game speed in over three months.

There is a world where Stolarz plays fantastically, and the Leafs pick up a big win, but that's not my point here. This reminds me of a lot of when the Leafs went to Long Island in John Tavares' return to the island and started Garret Sparks.

Stolarz is a much better goaltender than Sparks, and I'm not comparing them as players. What I am comparing is the situation.

In that game, that was important for Tavares, who was and still is a fan favourite, and the Leafs put them at a disadvantage by starting a backup goalie. This move was ridiculed by many in the fanbase, while Tavares was pelted with boos and insults as the Leafs suffered an embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Islanders.

Tonight, one of the most polarizing players in Leafs history returns to Scotiabank Arena. He heard boos in his home building from travelling Leaf fans, and many are expecting a hostile atmosphere tonight.

Many have been campaigning for Marner through the media (which has happened since he entered the league), but Elliotte Friedman released an article yesterday on Sportsnet detailing all the problems throughout Marner's tenure.

After all the problems with Marner while he was a Leaf, the nauseating commentary we've had to endure about how unfair the fans were, and how hard it is to play here because of fans and media, this is a big game.

So, for a team that said before the year that they wanted to connect more to their fans, how does the front office respond? They decide to start a goalie who hasn't seen game speed at any level in over three months.

Decisions like this are part of the reason why this team can't connect with the fans. This fan base has been dragged daily, especially for the situation with Marner and 'running players out of town'.

I'm not denying that some of the stuff with Marner crossed the line. Death threats and posting somebody’s home address online are psychotic. Nobody should have to endure that, but much of the criticism for Mitch is completely fair.

He disappeared when it mattered. His agent, whom he pays were a nuisance when contract negotiations came around, including calling out the Matthews deal as "no team-friendly discount there," just a day after it was signed. He and his camp held a grudge because he didn't get the bonuses he wanted in his rookie deal, although he made just over $22.9 million in just contract value alone as a Leaf.

I don't expect the players to feel the way the fans do. Obviously, a lot of these guys are still friends with him, so I'm not expecting them to speak poorly about him.

All I'm asking for once is for this organization to play for the fans. We've suffered some of the most humiliating losses in sports, and this game matters.

They have two goalies who've been fantastic all year. The organization decided to start the guy who hasn't played since Remembrance Day.