Craig Button credits Maple Leafs' $19,775,000 offseason additions as reasons behind Game 1 playoff success

The Toronto Maple Leafs took Game 1 of their Stanley Cup playoffs first round against the Ottawa Senators in covincing fashion. The Atlantic Division winners were 6-2 victors on the night.

While their forward core of stars like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and WIlliam Nylander turned up and contributed, their depth players contributed in different ways.

This was pointed out by NHL analyst Craig Button on TSN's broadcast where he highlighted the good work done by Leafs General Manager, Brad Treliving, and his team's efforts in signing key players during the offseason to increase the depth of the lineup.

This included Stanley Cup winning duo with the Florida Panhers from last season Anthony Stolarz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The former signed a two-year $5 million contract, while OEL was signed to a four-year $14 million contract.

Both contributed heavily on Sunday night, with Stolarz winning a key duel against Brady Tkachuk while Ekman-Larsson scored their opening goal. Button also pointed out the importance of someone like Steven Lorentz, signed to a one-year $750,000 contract, who timed 12:09 on the ice in 22 shifts during the game:

"Stolarz, he was a good goaltender last year. They had Bobrovsky there, but they had Stolarz who had really good numbers. Now the questions are, he's never been a starter, he's never played this many games. He's shown that he can be capable, now get in there and play. And he's done exactly that over the course of the season.

"Oliver Ekman-Larsson is calm, settled. I think going to Florida last year was really something that allowed him to understand what his game was all about."

He added:

"And you know, when you're making all the money he was making, all the pressure he was feeling in Vancouver, I think that — I'm not going to suggest that he succumbed to it, but I'm going to say that it weighed on him. And now he goes, "Hey, wait, I can be a good player. I know I'm a good player."

"He wins the Stanley Cup. He was instrumental, and now he comes to Toronto. It's those players that fill out your roster in key areas, that bolster your lineup, that strengthen your lineup. Steven Lorentz — you don't think of these players, but somebody's got to deliver minutes, purposeful minutes in different areas of your team."

Anthony Stolarz opens up about nerves playing in first postseason start

As a backup goalie to Sergei Bobrovsky last season, Anthony Stolarz was reduced to just one Stanley Cup playoff appearance, coming off the bench for Bobrovsky in the Finals in a loss to Edmonton. Named as the starting goalie for the Leafs this year, Stolarz was handed a lot of responsibility and despite nerves produced a 31-save night. He said:

“No, you step on the ice and have those eager, anxious jitters to kind of get going, but once I stepped out there it was all about having some fun and going to battle with the 19 other guys out there."

The Leafs would hope that he continues to play in similar fashion as the playoffs continue. Their first aim would be to cross the much dreaded first round and win convincingly against the Sens.