The Maple Leafs have settled their crease for Tuesday night in Columbus, and the plan keeps Anthony Stolarz in line to start while Artur Akhtyamov joins the trip after Monday’s emergency call-up.
That leaves Bobrovsky back in Toronto, a decision that lines up with the back-to-back and gives him time to stay on his normal routine before Thursday’s home game. With the Leafs back on the road against Columbus, the goalie setup was the key piece to sort out after Monday night’s win over San Jose.
Stolarz gets the nod as Toronto looks to build on that victory, but he comes in needing a sharper night. He has gone 2-1-0 this season with a 3.32 GAA and .875 SV%, and his last outing against Utah left plenty to be cleaned up. The source points to a few soft goals in that game and says Stolarz has already acknowledged he needs to be better.
Toronto also has a reunion angle waiting in Columbus, where Matthew Knies will face the Maple Leafs for the first time since being traded. The source says Knies has plenty to say to his former teammates when they arrive in town.
For the Leafs, the formula is straightforward: Stolarz has to give them a vintage performance, the blue line has to offer the kind of help Bobrovsky got in the last game, and Toronto needs to avoid letting a big win turn into a flat follow-up. If Stolarz can handle Knies and the rest of the Blue Jackets’ top threats, the Leafs could be eyeing back-to-back wins before the Rangers come to town on Thursday.
In Other News...
Auston Matthews Is Giving Maple Leafs Fans A New Captaincy Debate
Auston Matthews has looked at his captaincy differently this season, and it has given Maple Leafs fans something else to debate beyond the usual questions about his production and the teams ceiling. There is a sense that his leadership has become more deliberate, both in how he carries himself with the media and in the way he handles his role on the ice, which has made the early read on this season feel a little different than in years past.
One thread worth watching is whether that change is happening in a vacuum or with some help from around the organization. Mats Sundins presence has been floated as a possible influence on Matthews approach, though nothing about that is confirmed, and the broader point is simpler: Matthews may just be settling into the job on his own terms. For a captain under constant scrutiny in Toronto, even a subtle shift in demeanor can turn into a meaningful storyline fast. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Jake McCabe Concern They Cant Ignore
Jake McCabes night ended early against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a stick incident forced the Maple Leafs defenseman out of the game in the first period. Toronto confirmed he did not return, leaving the team to wait for more information on what exactly happened and how serious the injury might be.
The concern for the Leafs is obvious because McCabe is such a steady part of their blue line, and any facial injury brings an immediate layer of uncertainty. Head coach Jim Hiller is expected to provide an update, but for now Toronto is left hoping the situation is not as damaging as it looked in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Blue Line Trouble Just Made This Erik Karlsson Rumor Real
Torontos injury pileup on the blue line has pushed the Maple Leafs into a familiar place this time of year, searching for help and trying to figure out whether a move can steady the back end before the situation gets worse. That search has now sharpened around Erik Karlsson, with reports linking Toronto to the Penguins defenseman as the club weighs how a high-end puck mover would fit into a lineup that has been stretched thin.
Karlsson is still producing offense in Pittsburgh, which is part of why the rumor has real legs, and the fit is easy enough to imagine for a Leafs team looking for immediate impact. The harder part is the price, and nothing has been settled yet, but this is the kind of conversation that tends to get louder once injuries force a contender to explore every possible option. [Read more 🡒]