Panthers-Maple Leafs series is also a matchup between Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz
The Florida Panthers saw the Anthony Stolarz’s rise from relative unknown to capable starting NHL goaltender first-hand. He toiled
They have Roberto Luongo to thank for that.
“That’s the guy that I identified last summer as a potential target,” Luongo, the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who is now a special assistant to Florida president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito and leads the Panthers’ Goaltending Excellence Department, told the Miami Herald. “Obviously he had the size [at 6-6 and 243 pounds], so that was appealing to the start, but he’s a guy that we thought had some talent, but never really got an opportunity and always played on a team that you know wasn’t really a competitor. He was the type of guy that had some upside, maybe that was untapped that we were able to see.”
The Panthers tapped into that potential last season, when Stolarz served as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup to form a formidable one-two punch with the soon-to-be Hall of Famer in the regular season on the way to the team’s first Stanley Cup title. Stolarz, 31, parlayed that into a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and an opportunity to be a full-time starter.
It was a success story for both parties, and now paths are about to cross.
The Panthers and the Maple Leafs are set to face off in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, with Game 1 of the best-of-7 series set for Monday at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena (8 p.m., ESPN). When the puck drops, it will be Bobrovsky in net for Florida, Stolarz for Toronto. The tandem from last season’s Stanley Cup champions now stand in each other’s way for a chance to continue in the postseason.
But while the focus remains on winning, there is a mutual relationship between the netminders, one that will stand long after the series ends.
“We had a good relationship, that’s true,” Bobrovsky said of facing Stolarz. “It was a good partnership as well last year. It’s going to be good. It’s going to be fun. He’s a good goalie.”
Bobrovsky saw that first-hand. Stolarz played in 27 games for Florida last season (with 24 starts) and played to a stellar .925 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average with a pair of shutouts. Together, he and Bobrovsky worked to a collective .913 save percentage in the regular season that was the second-best in the NHL
And while Stolarz only made one appearance during Florida’s Stanley Cup playoff run — entering in relief during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, an eventual 8-1 loss — he said being around “a true pro” like Bobrovsky helped him understand what it takes to be successful in key moments.
“His work ethic speaks for itself,” Stolarz said last season. “He’s the first on the ice every day, always working. He rarely takes a day off unless it’s after a game. His work ethic has really pushed me and that’s allowed me to kind of push myself as hard as I can.”
Stolarz’s success has carried over to Toronto.
Although he missed about two months of the season due to a knee injury, Stolarz still went 21-8-3 in 34 games (33 starts) with a .926 save percentage and 2.14 goals against average in the regular season while splitting time with Joseph Woll.
He started all six of Toronto’s games in its first-round series against the Ottawa Senators, stopping 128 of 144 shots he faced.
Now, Bobrovsky has been pretty good this season once again in his own right. He went 33-19-2 in 54 starts this season, logging five shutouts along with a .906 save percentage and 2.44 goals against average.
His game tends to elevate in the playoffs, as the Panthers saw last season during their run to the Stanley Cup. That’s not lost on Stolarz, who is hoping to have similar results going against Bobrovsky.
“He was one hell of a teammate,” Stolarz said after signing with Toronto. “I’m going to miss him, but at the end of the day, he’s on the dark side now and I’m actually looking forward to playing him.”
That time has come. Game 1 is on Monday.
“I feel excited definitely to play against Toronto in Canada,” Bobrovsky said. “It’s probably one of the best atmospheres to play, the capital of hockey. It’s going to be a good challenge.”
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