Leafs HC Craig Berube makes his thoughts crystal clear on choosing Joseph Woll over Anthony Stolarz against Predators

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube explained why he chose Joseph Woll to start against the Nashville Predators. Woll has been in good form, winning his last three starts. The 26-year-old has a 24-12-0 record in 36 games with a .908 save percentage.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Predators game on Saturday, Berube said that he made the decision after considering Joseph Woll's recent games and the upcoming schedule.

"Well, looking at his last games and where he's at, and just thinking ahead a little bit all the time about upcoming games. And I love the rotation. I know I played two guys in a row a little bit here and there, but I like the rotation, and I just don't feel like I want to get away from that yet," Berube said. (11:22)

Although Anthony Stolarz seemed to be the likely playoff starter, Joseph Woll’s strong play in March has made the decision tougher for Berube.

Stolarz made 27 saves in a 4-3 win over the Rangers on Thursday. He allowed three goals, but all came on difficult plays. The win was important for Stolarz, who had not won a game since Feb. 28. He now has a 14-8-3 record with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.

The Maple Leafs have a strong 42-24-3 record, tied for first in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers. They average 3.20 goals per game and allow 2.93. Mitch Marner leads the team with 83 points, while William Nylander has 38 goals.

Coach Craig Berube talked about the Leafs' strong start on Joseph Woll's rest night

John Tavares scored first at 12:30 with a one-timer from the left circle. It was Joseph Woll's rest game with Anthony Stolarz starting for Leafs. Coach Craig Berube liked Toronto’s strong start after the game.

"I liked our start," Berube said, via NHL.com. "I thought we came out of the gates really good, on our toes. We played last night too, so sometimes you wonder how we're going to come out, but we were working right away and doing the right things and took hold of the game in my opinion."

Will Borgen tied it 1-1 at 19:12 with a long shot past Anthony Stolarz. Bobby McMann made it 2-1 by deflecting Jake McCabe’s shot.

Artemi Panarin tied it 2-2 at 1:22 of the second period with a rebound goal. Tavares scored again at 4:16 from the right circle. Matthew Knies made it 4-2 but Chris Kreider deflected Panarin’s shot to make it 4-3.