Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz set to start Game 2 against Sens after day off

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save on Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux (28) as Chris Tanev (8) looks on during third period NHL playoff action in Toronto on Sunday, April 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz will be back in the spotlight Tuesday.

A day after skipping practice for rest purposes, the Maple Leafs goaltender is set to start Game 2 of the team’s first-round playoff series with the Ottawa Senators.

Toronto took Sunday’s Battle of Ontario opener 6-2 on a night where Stolarz had to make a number of big second-period stops when the score was close.

He denied a Brady Tkachuk breakaway, a Shane Pinto opportunity from the slot, and a Fabian Zetterlund power-play chance before Toronto pulled away.

The 31-year-old took hold of the team’s No. 1 crease job down the regular-season stretch with eight straight victories — including shutouts in three of his final four starts — to go along with a .950 save percentage and a 1.40 goals-against average.

Stolarz, who signed with the Leafs in free agency and made the first playoff start of his career in Game 1, won the Stanley Cup in June with the Florida Panthers as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup.

The Edison, N.J., product split netminding duties with Joseph Woll for the majority of this season’s schedule, finishing with a 21-8-3 record, .926 save percentage, 2.14 GAA and five shutouts.

Stolarz took part in Tuesday’s optional morning skate at Scotiabank Arena along with a handful of teammates.

“With goalies, it’s a little different,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of keeping him off the previous day’s practice ice. “He had some good work in that game. He had to be sharp. He played a lot of pucks and he was busy.

“You’ve got to manage that and what you think is best.”

Toronto winger Pontus Holmberg will start Game 2 on the second line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander after taking Max Domi’s spot partway through Sunday’s contest.

“He’s very good at hanging on a pucks,” Berube said of Holmberg. “I need that line to have more (offensive) zone possession time.”

Ottawa head coach Travis Green didn’t commit to any lineup changes, but forward Ridly Greig and defenceman Nick Jensen skipped the team’s full morning skate after a day off. Green said both players are available for Game 2.

Veteran winger Nick Cousins, who also won the Cup with Florida last season, came off the morning skate ice fairly early and projected to draw into the lineup on the Senators’ fourth line.

“Provide some energy and get a win,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s we need to do … get a split on the road and then head home and have our fans behind us.”

The best-of-seven series shifts to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4 beginning Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press