TORONTO (Apr. 23) — Brad Treliving will not win general manager–of–the–year in the National Hockey League (the nod likely going to Kevin Cheveldayoff of Winnipeg or Chris Patrick of Washington). Were there an award, however, for best acquisition–of–the–year, Toronto’s GM would finish ahead of the pack; perhaps by a sizable margin. How else can we define the procurement, from the Florida Panthers, of goalie Anthony Stolarz? It has all the earmarks of the best Leafs acquisition since Cliff Fletcher obtained Mats Sundin from the Quebec Nordiques in June 1994. Ultimately, it could rank with Fletcher’s pilfering of Doug Gilmour from Calgary, 2½ years earlier.

While the scoring heroes of the early playoff games — Max Domi, in particular, for winning Tuesday’s second match with the Senators early in overtime — are being justly recognized, the underlying story of the Maple Leafs is finally starting to emerge. As I wrote, here, after the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 7: Until the playoffs start, we won’t know whether Treliving, last July 3, made the best move of the entire NHL season; today’s deadline flury included. For, it’s quite simple: If Anthony Stolarz can perform, in the spring, at anywhere close to the level he’s displayed this winter, all bets are off. Though the Leafs and Ottawa have completed just two games in their best–of–seven division playoff, the remarkable streak of Toronto’s No. 1 goalie dates more than month, to Mar. 20, when the Leafs toppled the Rangers, 4–3, at Madison Square Garden. Beginning that night, Stolarz is a perfect 10–0–0 with a 1.48 goals–against average and .947 save percentage. He’s allowed all of 15 tallies. As I write this, Anthony is providing the Leafs Stanley Cup–caliber goaltending. No team — not Florida, Washington, Carolina — will have its way with the locals… if Stolarz does not come back to Earth. It doesn’t mean the Leafs will prevail over the aforementioned clubs, but they will not go quietly. No element of Stanley Cup competition is nearly as critical and condusive to a deep run. And, no stopper in the league has put up numbers quite like Stolarz in the past month.

ANTHONY STOLARZ PROTECTS HIS TERRITORY FROM PESKY RIDLY GRIEG OF OTTAWA DURING A HEATED EXCHANGE AT SCOTIABANK ARENA IN GAME 2. FOR THE PAST MONTH, STOLARZ HAS PROVIDED THE MAPLE LEAFS STANLEY CUP–CALIBER GOALTENDING. SPORTSNET TV IMAGE

Since their last Stanley Cup conquest in 1967, the Leafs have rarely possessed an elite netminder. Yes, Jacques Plante and Bernie Parent are legends and Hall of Famers, but Plante was at the end of his career in 1972 and Parent would not return to the Leafs after defecting to the old World Hockey Association (he went back to Philadelphia and led the Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cups, in 1974 and 1975). Who else is there? Well, Mike Palmateer backstopped Toronto to the Cup semifinals in 1978, before the Leafs were demolished by the dynastic Canadiens of Scotty Bowman, Ken Dryden, Guy Lafleur and Co. Felix Potvin tended goal when the Gilmour–led Leafs of 1993 and 1994 advanced to the semifinals. Curtis Joseph also made a pair of trips to the final four: in 1999 and 2002. Ed Belfour singlehandedly ousted the Senators in 2004 before losing to the Flyers. But, that’s it. For the past two decades, the Leafs have been seeking proficiency between the pipes. James Reimer and Jack Campbell had impressive regular–season runs, but could not follow through in the playoffs. Stolarz, a behemoth at 6–foot–6, 243 pounds, could play linebacker in the Canadian Football League were he not a goalie in the NHL.

Palmateer is widely considered the brashest Leafs goalie of the post–1967 era. He challenged shooters and wood–chopped any opponent daring to enter his personal space. Who of vintage can forget the Popcorn Kid pole–axing Gary Dornhoefer of the Flyers during the 1977 quarterfinals at Maple Leaf Gardens? Palmy cracked Dornhoefer in the noggin with his heavy, wooden stick, setting off fireworks on the Philadelphia TV broadcast.

“That son–of–a–..!” cried color commentator (and ex–Flyer) Terry Crisp, catching himself before uttering an oath.

Not since Palmateer has a Leaf goalie made life miserable for crease intruders. Enter Stolarz and his now–iconic strafing of Ridly Greig in Game 2. A couple of heavy crosschecks and a swipe with his stick that came perilously close to Greig’s private region raised Anthony’s profile even higher. All three assaults were clear minor penalties overlooked by the officials. Yet, potentially invaluable for the Leafs as the 2025 Cup tournament evolves.

The narrative for the Leafs of the Core–4 era surrounds an inability (or unwillingness) to raise performance commensurately at playoff time. Particularly in the close–out portion of a series — Games 6 and 7 — when the big shooters have repeatedly come up small. It’s too early to start looking at numbers. But, Auston Matthews, without a goal in the first two games against Ottawa, now has all of 23 tallies in 57 playoff matches; well shy of his regular–season pace. Undoubtedly, Auston has been a disappointment when the stakes increase. I make this point, however, not to degrade the Toronto captain, but to suggest the lack of timely scoring may be compensated for between the posts. The way Stolarz is performing, the Leafs should not lose many games in which they score three goals (or more). And, how can a team avoid competing for the Stanley Cup amid such an attainable total?

Stolarz has made only three playoff appearances in his NHL career. So, it’s important for Leaf fans to maintain equilibrium. Yet it’s hardly novel for goalies to perform adequately well into their 30’s… and, occasionally, to come of age after they turn 30. Stolarz is 31. Dominic Hasek, arguably the best goalie of the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967), won consecutive Hart Trophies with Buffalo in 1997 and 1998 at ages 32 and 33. Then, at 37, he won 41 games for Detroit and led the Red Wings to the 2002 NHL championship. Tim Thomas was 37 when he backstopped the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup; Sergei Bobrovsky, 35, last spring when he raised the Cup with Florida. Carey Price was a spry 33 when Montreal made its incredible run to the COVID Cup final in 2021, besting the Leafs after Toronto infamously grabbed a 3–1 series lead. As such, Stolarz could be at the perfect age to provide the Maple Leafs elite puck–stopping for the next four to seven years. Conversely, and this is why Leaf rooters should stay grounded, Stolarz could turn into another Jose Theodore, Jim Carey or Andrew Raycroft — goalies that stormed out of the gate to win individual awards and fizzled soon after. Only time, of course, will tell.

Given how Leaf fans change quicker than the wind direction, the local narrative will sure topple if Anthony has a comparatively bad night in Game 3, Thursday, at Ottawa. But, why would we anticipate regression?

Stolarz, as written, has been “in the zone” for more than a month now. He rebounded from his lone rough patch of the schedule (five consecutive defeats from Mar. 3–15) to provide the Leafs distinction in goal. If it somehow continues, Toronto will seriously challenge for the Stanley Cup. Even if the big boys go cold at the wrong time.

And, when have we been able to offer such assurance to the NHL’s most–resilient fans?

STAY CENTERED: The last time the Leafs took Games 1 and 2 of a Stanley Cup series, in the 2002 quarterfinals, they knocked off the New York Islanders — each team winning its home games. Toronto prevailed in seven after it looked as if the series would end rather quickly. And, three times in the past 48 years, the Leafs have won the first two games of a best–of–seven on the road and still managed to lose: in six to Philadelphia (1977); seven to Detroit (1987) and seven to Chicago (1995). So, perhaps wait until after Game 3 for Dopamine levels to rise.

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