» Play of Anthony Stolarz key factor for Maple Leafs in Game 1 victory

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The first start in a Stanley Cup playoff game for Anthony Stolarz went off without a hitch.

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While his Maple Leafs were busy pumping goals past Ottawa netminder Linus Ullmark in a 6-2 Toronto win in Game 1 of the Battle of Ontario, Stolarz did his thing, stopping 31 shots on Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena.

“You step on the ice, you have those eager, anxious jitters just to get going,” Stolarz said. “But once I stepped out there, it was all about having some fun and going to work and going to battle with the 19 other guys.

“(The win) is the most important thing that we’re striving for. I just thought the atmosphere was great. Goosebumps when you stepped on the ice and the crowd goes nuts. I think that propelled us a lot.”

Though the Leafs were outshot 33-24, including 27-13 at five-on-five, there weren’t many anxious moments for Stolarz. And when they popped up, the coolness that Stolarz displayed though the regular season rose to the surface.

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Case in point was a save on a breakaway on Senators captain Brady Tkachuk following a Morgan Rielly turnover at the Ottawa blue line. The save came early in the second period with the Leafs holding a 2-1 lead. A Tkachuk goal there and the outcome is in doubt; within minutes, John Tavares and William Nylander each scored a power-play goal to put the Leafs up by three.

After the Nylander goal, saves by Stolarz on Fabian Zetterlund and Tim Stutzle impressed coach Craig Berube.

“Timely saves are huge, we all know that, especially in playoffs,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “They go a long way. He made some timely saves that were really important to keep (the game) where it was at, to keep the momentum going. He was huge in that department, for sure.”

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Stolarz didn’t let a Senators goal in the first period that a weird element to it bother him. After making a save, Stolarz was unable to corral the puck and Ottawa forward Drake Batherson swatted it into the net before Stolarz could cover it. The goal put a dent in the Leafs’ 2-0 lead.

“It’s just one of those things kind of hops over your stick, right?” Stolarz said. “That’s part of being a goalie. It’s short-term memory. You have to worry about that next shot. The guys really did a good job for me, keeping them to the outside.

“When my number was called to make a big save, I just tried my best to do that. Our commitment to playing a 200-foot game, blocking shots, having good sticks in lanes, I think was key to our success.”

In the third, Stolarz, luckily for the Leafs, was not hurt when Ottawa’s Ridly Greig slid into him. The right leg of Stolarz slammed into the post.

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“I’m fine,” Stolarz said. “He just came in and caught me in a little awkward spot. My knee hit the post there, something that just happens, he blew a tire. I felt fine and I was able to finish the game.”

At the other end, Ullmark was key to the Senators’ lack of success. If you’re going to be undisciplined, as the inexperienced Senators were, you need your goalie to be sharp. The Leafs scored on three of their six power plays and they outscored Ottawa 3-2 at even-strength.

Ullmark was beaten from the slot by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander, on a breakaway by Mitch Marner, from close in front by Matthew Knies and John Tavares and on a shot by Rielly that was deflected.

The Leafs beat Ullmark on his stick side and glove side. Marner went high glove. There wasn’t an area of the net that Ullmark defended overly well.

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Sens coach Travis Green liked his team’s game at five-on-five and claimed not to have an issue with his goaltending.

“I like our goaltending,” Green said. “I like our goalie a lot. He’s a good goalie. He won a Vezina, so pretty good. There’s no elephant in the room, in our room.”

Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy two years ago as a member of the Boston Bruins. That didn’t matter on Sunday night.

Green’s post-game comments aside, it’s crucial for Ottawa that Ullmark rebounds with a much better night on the job on Tuesday when the puck drops in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena.

With Stolarz, as was the case through the 2024-25 regular season, there are no concerns in the Leafs net.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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