“Stood tall for us”: Craig Berube heaps praises on $5M star despite Maple Leafs' OT loss to Wild

In the Maple Leafs' 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Anthony Stolarz stood out, as his performance was a big reason Toronto earned a point. He stopped 31 of 33 shots and showed confidence and focus under pressure. After the game, Leafs coach Craig Berube praised him.

“He was big for us. We were gassed (in the third) but he stood tall for us," Berube said, via Leafslatest.

Stolarz, who signed a $5 million contract on July 1, is having a solid season so far. In eight games, he has a 4-2-2 record with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. Although he shares the net with Joseph Woll, Stolarz has proven that he is a reliable option. His steady play has given the Leafs flexibility in managing their goalies, allowing them to stay fresh through the season.

On Sunday, Stolarz kept the game close in the third period, with several important saves as Toronto looked tired. In overtime, the winning goal came after a quick turnaround. The Leafs nearly had a 3-on-1 break, but a smart play by Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon stopped them. This led to a 2-on-0, giving Stolarz no chance of saving it.

The Leafs play three games this week: the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings on Friday and the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Stolarz will likely start at least one of those games as his recent performances suggest that he is up to the challenge.

While the Leafs have faced some issues this season, Stolarz’s play in net has been a positive, and Berube’s praise reflects growing confidence in him.

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Coach Craig Berube's bold 5-forward power play strategy for Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto coach Craig Berube is taking a new approach to strengthen the Maple Leafs' power play. Instead of the typical setup with three forwards and two defensemen, he’s now using five forwards: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander and Matthew Knies. Berube tested this lineup in Sunday’s game against the Wild, hoping it would increase offensive pressure and lead to more scoring chances.

Despite having top scorers, the Maple Leafs’ power play hasn’t been effective this season. Berube shared that the idea of using five forwards has been on the table for some time, with hopes that it would create a more direct, shot-focused strategy.

To distribute scoring chances, he has also split up Matthews and Marner from Tavares and Nylander, forming two balanced power-play units instead of one stacked line.