Goaltending has not been a friend to the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. While it hasn't been the sole reason why the Leafs are six points out of a playoff spot with an 8-11-2 record, they haven't had any performances in the crease that has specifically earned them any of those wins -- but it has earned them a whole lot of those losses.
A lot of that underperformance has been when Sergei Bobrovsky is in between the pipes. The 38-year-old legendary netminder signed a three-year, $21-million contract with the Maple Leafs this summer and it appears to have already been a grave mistake made by the team. He's certainly not stealing any of their games and looks uneasy every time he's in between the pipes.
But, head coach Jim Hiller has been keeping him in there while backup Anthony Stolarz, who is having a better season, has remained limited to just one game per week. That was the plan, anyways.
Thankfully, for Saturday night's must-win game against the Edmonton Oilers, Hiller has freed Stolarz from his game limit and he will be in the crease for the Leafs. As noted by Sportsnet's Luke Fox, it is the first consecutive starts for Stolarz this season.
First consecutive starts for Anthony Stolarz this season. https://t.co/vkiGZTHqLI
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 14, 2026
While the reasoning certainly feels more because Bobrovsky's underperformance rather than Stolarz looking amazing, it's clearly the right decision as they try to figure out a solution to this problem for the starter.
Anthony Stolarz has more than earned the Leafs' crease for now
Stolarz has clearly outperformed Bobrovsky through the opening portion of the season. The 32-year-old owns a 5-3-0 record with a .900 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average through eight appearances. Bobrovsky, meanwhile, is 3-8-2 with an .881 save percentage and 3.47 goals against average across 13 games. Neither goalie has recorded a shutout, but Toronto has earned five wins in Stolarz’s eight appearances compared with only three in Bobrovsky’s 13.
Stolarz hasn’t been flawless, and recent losses have pulled his numbers closer to the league average. Still, he has given the Maple Leafs the better chance to win over the full body of work. Bobrovsky has produced occasional reminders of his pedigree, including a 30-save performance against San Jose, but he has also allowed at least four goals in five starts and posted a save percentage below .860 in six.
At this stage, reputation shouldn’t determine the workload. Stolarz has earned more starts, and the Maple Leafs’ decision to give him the net represents a necessary adjustment rather than a genuine controversy.
It's certainly not concrete -- Stolarz could lose the next few games and Bobrovsky will win his starting job back -- but it is a change that is necessary and so many of Leafs Nation has been calling for.
Add us as a preferred source on Google