'We're Going To Need The Energy': Why Maple Leafs Are Changing Their Optional Morning Skate With NHL Playoffs Approaching

Toronto has 12 more games left in the regular season, including Tuesday's matchup against the Flyers.

The Maple Leafs are changing things up with optional morning skates as the playoffs approach.

Normally, if Toronto holds an optional skate the morning before a game, certain players get on the ice and participate in a few drills. It's more or less so they can get a feel of the puck on the game day before warmups.

However, the plan changed last Wednesday before their 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Toronto held an optional skate, but only healthy scratches and injured players took to the ice. (Max Domi briefly skated to get a couple of puck touches in.)

A similar sequence occurred on Tuesday morning ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers: only players who weren't playing were on the ice for the optional morning skate.

"A lot of travel and hockey, obviously. But a lot of travel with us in the last month, I'd say. A lot of travel. And we're heading out again tomorrow," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Tuesday morning.

"We had a good practice yesterday, 30 minutes or more. A pretty good pace, so I don't think there's any need for anybody to go on the ice this morning. Yeah, if they want to go touch [the puck], goalies like to get some shots, whatever. But we're going to need the energy tonight in the game."

Pontus Holmberg, Max Pacioretty, Philippe Myers, and Joseph Woll were the four players on the ice during Tuesday's optional skate. That means David Kampf, an extra at practice on Monday, is projected to be in the lineup against the Flyers, and Holmberg is out.

Woll being on the ice means Anthony Stolarz is the projected starting goaltender against Philadelphia. Toronto's 4-3 win over the New York Rangers was Stolarz's first win since Feb. 28, also against the Rangers.

The 31-year-old has a 14-8-3 record and a .918 save percentage with the Maple Leafs this season. This will be his 11th game since returning from knee surgery on Feb. 6.

"It's huge. Anytime you're in a little bit of a skid, you want to break out of it," Stolarz said on Monday of his win against the Rangers. "As a goalie, the name of the game is winning games. My job is to stop more pucks than the guy down at the other end and that night I did.

"And like I said after that game, I liked my game, where I was at the last couple of games, it just boiled down to making that one extra save. And I think in New York, I was able to do that and keep it a two-goal lead for as long as possible. For me, it's just a building block and something I'm going to build on."

Toronto faces the Flyers on Tuesday before heading out on their California road trip on Wednesday, where they have three games in four nights against the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks.

The Maple Leafs are two points behind the Florida Panthers for first in the Atlantic Division, with one game in hand. 

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