Maple Leafs make controversial lineup decision ahead of Oilers showdown

TSN's Mark Masters just reported that Anthony Stolarz skipped the Maple Leafs optional skate and looks set to start again tonight against the Oilers.

That would be a first this season. Stolarz has not started consecutive games for Toronto until now, and the Leafs are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Masters noted that Stolarz was not on the ice Saturday morning and that it looks like he will go again against Edmonton.

-

The timing matters. Toronto has lost five straight and sits 23rd in the NHL at 8-11-2, so a goalie getting the net two nights in a row is a statement from Jim Hiller, even if nobody has said it out loud.

Stolarz is 8 GP deep into this season. Staying with him suggests the coaching staff sees him as the best chance to steady a team that has given up 75 goals in 21 games.

Edmonton is not an easy place to start a reset. The Oilers are 14-3-3, first in the Pacific Division, and arrive having won three straight, including a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers on Wednesday.

Is Hiller leaning on Stolarz because the Leafs have run out of options?

Hiller's job is already a talking point. We looked at how the questions around Jim Hiller's future got louder after the 4-0 loss to the Devils, and the skid has only made the noise worse.

Going back to the same goalie is the most obvious lever a coach can pull. It costs nothing, it sends a message about who the number one is, and it removes one variable from a lineup that has been leaking goals.

But it also puts all the weight on one player. Stolarz is 32 and carries a lot of the pressure on a team that is 4-8-1 at home and has struggled to give its fans anything to cheer about at the rink.

The Leafs have been much better on the road at 4-3-1. Tonight they are at home, where the Oilers' road record sits at 7-0-1, which is a problem on its own.

Toronto's last 10 games read 3-7-0. Edmonton has gone 6-2-2 over the same stretch.

Stolarz's first back-to-back starts of the year are no guarantee he stops the slide, and there is no word yet on whether the Leafs have confirmed the plan. If the optional skate is any indication, the answer arrives at puck drop tonight.

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Elliotte Friedman sheds light on Maple Leafs trade in the works