Woll v Stolarz for Playoffs

[Ozzie]

Steve Valiquette, one of the best in goalie analysis, on Woll v Stolarz for playoffs:

Starting at 1:00:25

He's saying Woll. But some analysis that leans towards Stolarz playing home games.

 

[dappleganger]

Steve Valiquette is a great radio guest.

For me it's Stolarz until he falters in the playoffs.

 

[cabber24]

I would consider both since neither has done it or been able to play every day in the playoffs. I am happy to have options. I am still pissed at Samsonov for not playing the puck on Pasta's elimination goal!

 

[cw]

Too soon for me. Lets see how they go down the stretch to the playoffs.
Both their post all star numbers are not good

 

[Ozzie]

Woll and Stolarz in a horse race now with back to back excellent performances each.

 

[dappleganger]

Steve Valiquette is a great radio guest.

For me it's Stolarz until he falters in the playoffs.

Maybe Woll?

 

[Ozzie]

 

[Ozzie]

https://www.reddit.com/r/leafs/s/HBKBNhTko9

Woll hands Stolarz the Game Belt.

 

[dappleganger]

Ok, question time. If the Leafs face Florida in the first round, does that change your thought process on who should start the playoffs in net?

IMO, Stolarz hasn't looked good against Florida. Is Florida's familiarity with Stolie a disadvantage?

 

[Ozzie]

Ok, question time. If the Leafs face Florida in the first round, does that change your thought process on who should start the playoffs in net?

IMO, Stolarz hasn't looked good against Florida. Is Florida's familiarity with Stolie a disadvantage?

Yes good question.

Clearly Florida has the best book on Stolarz. They know him intimately and the reasons why they didn't resign him, plus they lit him up for his worst goal differential defeat this season (from my memory).

The one limitation is Berube's style. He has always been a "One goalie in the playoffs" type of coach.

Assuming both are hot going into the playoffs and comparable (like the past two games), you play Stolarz at home (where Stolarz has done significantly better than Woll) and Woll away. Reason being that both of these goalies battled injury this season. Woll was injured in the playoffs last season. And neither has shown the wherewithal to be a true starter - notice that when the schedule got harsh (right after 4 Nations) and Tanev was out for injury - both goalies tanked at the same time.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I don't know that the goalies tanked. Or at least, not exclusively. The team defense tanked.

 

[Ozzie]

Every goal against Nashville on Woll (except for the unfortunate one where Tanev slid into Woll and knocked the puck in) was high glove side.

His positioning was generally good and his pad saves were remarkable. But he got beaten in the same location each time.

 

[cw]

Every goal against Nashville on Woll (except for the unfortunate one where Tanev slid into Woll and knocked the puck in) was high glove side.

His positioning was generally good and his pad saves were remarkable. But he got beaten in the same location each time.

Two of those goals were shot from 14 ft and 17 ft from the goal line. Because Woll is not on the goal line - he's out in the blue paint - the distance is shorter than 14-17 feet to get the puck past him. From that distance, the puck would be past him in less than 1/10th of a second. A 1/10th of a second is the top reaction time for a NHL goalie. So Woll had no time or not enough time to react AND move to stop the shot. To stop a shot high over the glove requires more motion which takes more time. You say his positioning was generally good. That is about all he can do on those two shots - close to hope it hits him or he doesn't have to move much. That applies to all NHL goalies.

Even on the Bellows goal, that was a perfectly placed shot. It is close to the same story. When you combine reaction time with the time needed to move his glove to stop it and the pace of the shot was a strong wrister plus Bellows skating speed, I question whether that was reliably stoppable with his glove. Bellows was approaching getting inside the dots - which is the zone where you don't have enough time to react and move to stop a shot. So Woll butterflied to take away the bottom of the net as I think he should - to hope the shot hits him because Bellows is close to no man's zone - where there is not enough time to react and move to stop the shot. I think the majority of NHL goalies would have been scored on with that shot - very top right corner.

I'm not convinced those shots in those circumstances confidently tell us much about Woll's ability as a goalie because of their speed and shorter distance. Maybe a goalie guru can weigh in ...

 

[Ozzie]

Mike Johnson on Stolarz v Woll at 12:40 of the video below:

"If you strap a lie detector on Berube right now.... he's starting Stolarz [for the playoffs]"

- Mike Johnson

 

[dappleganger]

I'm assuming Berube watched the San Jose game even if he didn't have any effect on the coaching side.

 

[Ozzie]

This may be the play that cemented Stolarz as the starter for Game 1. If this didn't happen, Leafs would have had a perfect record in California.

https://packaged-media.redd.it/3xiql5epycre1/pb/m2-res_480p.mp4?m=DASHPlaylist.mpd&v=1&e=1743919200&s=fc4a9eb84fd2ccdb1b085b8884bf660e76fcc0eb

 

[cw]

Looking at the numbers since Stolarz came back from injury in early February

Woll PtsWin% .682, GAA ~ 2.91, save% .898
Stolarz PtsWin% .731, GAA ~ 2.54, save% .945

I think they'll look at the body of work.
With the above, the numbers all favor Stolarz

 

[Ozzie]

Stolarz is 3rd in league in SV% and 5th in GAA. He's the most important member of this roster this season IMHO. Without him.....with Woll and Hildeby.....we drop 12+ points and battle for WC.

He's the team member I'm most pumped about heading into the playoffs.