Anthony Stolarz Confident Ahead Of Start Against Canucks, Defends Maple Leafs Teammate Sergei Bobrovsky

VANCOUVER — Amid public debate over the crease following high-scoring losses, Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller confirmed Friday that Anthony Stolarz will start Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks. The decision, Hiller said, required no deliberation.

“There was no decision,” Hiller said after practice at UBC Thunderbird Arena. “He was scheduled to play.” 

Stolarz enters with a 4-1-0 record and a .907 save percentage in five appearances. Sergei Bobrovsky, signed this summer as the primary option, is 3-5-2 with an .885 save percentage and has absorbed criticism for goals allowed in recent outings, including a 5-4 loss in Seattle.

In speaking with The Hockey News after practice, Stolarz addressed his teammate’s early-season struggles with perspective. 

“At the end of the day, he’s probably the most battle-tested goalie in the NHL. His resume speaks for itself,” Stolarz said. “It’s a part of the game. Look at me, three, four games ago against Utah. You’re going to have those games. We’re all human. If you play a perfect 84 games you’d be 84-0.”

Stolarz was referencing his game where he allowed five goals in a 5-4 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 13. In that game, Stolarz said he “wanted two or three of those back” and put his team in a tough situation. It wasn’t too dissimilar to the game Bobrovsky had in a 5-4 regulation loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

Stolarz, who was teammates with Bobrovsky during their 2024 Stanley Cup run, pointed to a shorter preseason and a condensed early schedule as possible factors, while stressing that goalies can work on specific elements in practice and bounce back. 

“The glorious thing is, you get to bounce back the next game, especially as a goalie. We’ve all been there before.” 

Stolarz bounced back well following that game against Utah, and with injury issues plaguing his career, the goaltender is riding a high of confidence.

“I feel good. I’m a pretty confident guy. I think I belong in this league. Especially for a goaltender, it’s just all about mental. We all can stop the puck. It’s about feeling it in your own head and going out there and play. When I get a little feisty in the crease, that kind of fires me up.” 

Hiller has consistently framed the tandem as a strength and has not indicated any shift away from the planned rotation. 

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