Harder to See Maple Leafs Anthony Stolarz as the Backup

Something interesting is happening with Anthony Stolarz in Toronto, and it might be worth a closer look. Sunday's 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils wasn't exactly a night to remember for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz stopped 25 of 28 shots before the Devils added an empty-net goal. Toronto couldn't find the net, and his three-game winning streak ended.

But I wouldn't put much of this one on Stolarz.

Stolarz Gave His Team a Chance to Win, But They Couldn’t Get Anything Going.

He was playing the second half of a back-to-back, faced 28 shots, and gave his team a reasonable chance to win. Unfortunately, the offence didn't give him much to work with. Goaltenders can only do so much when their teammates aren't scoring.

What's more interesting is what has been happening over his last seven starts. Stolarz is now 5-2-0 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. Those aren't spectacular numbers, but they're respectable, especially given that he's been getting more work than a traditional backup might expect. And that's where things get interesting.

Stolarz Is Making a Case for More Responsibility.

Sergei Bobrovsky hasn't been consistent this season, and that has opened the door for Stolarz to get a little more playing time. Sometimes an opportunity comes along because another player struggles. What matters is what you do with it.

Stolarz has responded with three consecutive wins before Sunday's setback. More importantly, he's given Toronto some reason to believe there's another option available when Bobrovsky isn't at his best.

Suggesting that the Maple Leafs should suddenly change their goaltending plans would probably be getting ahead of things. But Stolarz is making it harder to see him as simply the fellow who fills in when the starter needs a night off. There's a difference between being a capable backup and becoming a goaltender a team can trust with a meaningful share of its workload.

Stolarz is working toward that second description.

The Next Week Will Tell Maple Leafs Fans Something.

Toronto doesn't have much time to catch its breath. Colorado visits Tuesday, Minnesota arrives Thursday, and Edmonton comes to town Saturday. That's a pretty demanding stretch, and the goaltending decisions will be worth watching. The Maple Leafs need both Stolarz and Bobrovsky. They don't need to turn this into a competition for its own sake, but they do need to know what they have in both goaltenders.

Sunday's loss shouldn't erase what Stolarz has accomplished in his recent starts. Nor should a few good performances automatically settle the position. For now, Stolarz is giving Toronto something it needs, and he's doing it without making much noise about it.

Sometimes the most valuable player on a team isn't the one making headlines. Sometimes it's the player quietly making the coach's next decision a little more difficult.