“You’re always picking up on things,” Toronto’s purported B-minder was saying after practice here on Friday, the team having elected to overnight in Sin City (trust me, there was no sinning going on) and take advantage of Vegas ice availability before proceeding to Denver.
asserted
team → pick → Denver
“I enjoy watching other goalies, picking up on their tendencies.
asserted
I → watch → tendencies
Watching Bobby, he was phenomenal in that game, in overtime.
asserted
he → watch → overtime
He stole us a point there.
asserted
He → steal → point
If Bob plays like that, more times than not we’re going to get the two points.”
Bobrovsky had turned away 40 of 43 Golden Knights shots through three periods and overtime, then faced five more in a prolonged shootout.
asserted
Bobrovsky → play → shootout
The twice Vezina-plated ’tender offered a particular tutorial in Thursday’s deadeye contest on the art of the poke check, which is how he thwarted a pair of Knights, including Mitch Marner.
asserted
he → plat → Marner
But he got outsmarted on a casual deke and backhand by Trevor Connelly: 4-3 Vegas final.
asserted
Vegas → outsmart → Connelly
The thing is, the future Hall of Famer has yet to register a win through three games, while Stolarz is 2-0-0.
asserted
Stolarz → have → games
Which is probably not how most people had envisioned the season unfolding.
asserted
season → envision → ?
Bobrovsky wasn’t on the ice at all for Friday’s practice and that’s not unusual.
asserted
that → ’ → practice
The Russian is on his own planet, deeply enmeshed in his own fanatical off-ice conditioning program.
asserted
Russian → enmesh → program
As well, it’s all part and parcel of managing Bobrovsky’s workload, cutting the 38-year-old some on-ice slack.
asserted
it → ’ → slack
He really doesn’t need to pull net sentry duty for one more practice.
asserted
He → need → practice
Still, in these salad days of 2026-27, indications point toward more of the aforementioned co-goalie tandem.
asserted
indications → point → tandem
Unlike 2023-24 when Stolarz and Bobrovsky shared a Stanley Cup championship, but the former played only 27 games (started 24) while the latter had the net for 58 games.
asserted
latter → share → games
And in the post-season, Stolarz made just one appearance.
asserted
Stolarz → make → appearance
Thus far in Toronto it’s been a 50/50 split, with Stolarz expected between the posts on Saturday against the Avalanche.
asserted
Stolarz → expect → Avalanche
The strapping 32-year-old from New Jersey wasn’t pleased with his last start, in which he allowed three goals to the Predators before the Leafs rallied and won in OT.
asserted
Leafs → please → OT
Not every game’s going to be a Picasso.
asserted
game → go → ?
You’re going to have games where you have to grind it out and you’re going to give up three, four, five, six.
asserted
you → go → six
You just have to make one more save than the other guy.
asserted
You → have → guy
That was my mentality.”
Stolarz is feeling fit and hale, in fine shape to bounce back from a bummer season that saw him limited to 26 games bracketing three injuries.
asserted
him → feel → injuries
But the new conditioning brain trust within the Leafs has had both goaltenders on spine-stiffening regimens since early summer.
asserted
trust → have → summer
Which, it’s hoped, will help elevate Stolarz to far better than the .893 save percentage he posted last season.
asserted
he → hop → percentage
The Leafs, who are taking a gamble that Bobrovsky will rebound from the worst year of his NHL career, must have faith in Stolarz since they traded away Joseph Woll — who looked like he’d eclipsed Stolarz — and Dennis Hildeby.
asserted
he → take → Stolarz
They’re a mutual admiration society, Stolarz and Bobrovsky reunited.
asserted
Stolarz → ’re → ?
“We picked up right where we left of,” said Stolarz.
asserted
Stolarz → pick → ?
“He’s a great person, great human.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
His professionalism, being in the gym with him, seeing how hard he works.
asserted
he → see → him
It’s rubbed off on the team.”
A team
asserted
It → rub → team
that went through an uptempo, quite chipper practice on this day
asserted
that → go → day
And off to a fine early morning start when the players received a group text that John Tavares had become a father for the fourth time at some point overnight.
asserted
Tavares → receive → point
The baby had arrived a week earlier than expected, and it was unclear if Tavares had made it back to Toronto in time for the birth after lighting out.
uncertain
Tavares → arrive → birth
An hour after the game, before he’d learned his presence was required in the delivery room, Tavares was still on the exercise bike and kibitzing with Marner, who’d dropped around for a visit with his former ’mates.
asserted
who → learn → mates
“Tucker Tavares,” coach Jim Hiller announced to reporters.
asserted
Hiller → announce → reporters
“Ten-pounder, so we got ourselves a power forward on the way.”
asserted
we → get → way
Hard-nosed Nick Paul was slotted into the second line with William Nylander and hot soph Easton Cowan at practice, Hiller fairly certain Tavares won’t be rejoining the team in Denver, probably in Utah against the Mammoth on Tuesday.
asserted
Tavares → slot → Tuesday
Another factoid confirmed: Darren Raddysh has accepted, however grudgingly, that Paul did indeed score Toronto’s third goal on Thursday, on a fortunate if painful deflection of the defenceman’s bazooka shot off the shin.
asserted
Paul → confirm → shin
“I didn’t (believe it) until I saw the black mark on his sock,” snorted Raddysh.
asserted
Raddysh → believe → sock
“So I’ll give him that one.”
asserted
I → give → one
The Aporia
