Speaking post-game, coach Craig Berube was even hopeful that Stolarz might be available to him the very next game.
Matthews was a full participant in Thursday’s morning skate — good news — but will miss a fourth straight game as the Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Stolarz, however, has yet to strap on the pads since leaving that Nov. 11 game early.
“Worse than we thought,” coach Craig Berube said. “He’s not ready to get on the ice yet and do the things he has needed to do. Hopefully it’s soon. I really don’t have a timetable for him. Maybe tomorrow he’ll be on the ice. I’m not sure.”
The timing of partner Joseph Woll’s delayed start to the season couldn’t be better.
Woll will start a third consecutive match Tuesday and has stabilized the crease with his 1.96 goal-against average and .934 save percentage.
Prior to Woll’s return, the club had given up four-plus goals in four straight losses.
The organization believes burnout got to Stolarz, a tandem goalie who carried a starter’s burden through October and early November.
“Anthony had a real strong start,” general manager Brad Treliving said. “I think the workload caught up to him. I think that he’d be the first to tell you, his game dropped a little bit. I think it’s tied a little bit into the number of starts he had, right?
“Our hope is that we get Anthony healthy. Got all the faith in the world in Anthony. Glad to see Joe back there. They’re a big part of our team, the tandem together and how they play off each other.”
Järnkrok receives big promotion
Veteran Calle Järnkrok, who has bounced all around and right out of the lineup this season, will get a top-line look Thursday alongside John Tavares and William Nylander.
“Work as hard as I can and get the puck back to those two,” said the winger, who is still looking for his first assist.
Berube leaned on Järnkrok for a season-high 19:18 in Tuesday’s skid-stopping 3-2 overtime win over St. Louis. The coach likes the veteran’s matchup defence and familiarity with Nylander. (Look for Järnkrok’s cameo in Nylander’s latest YouTube episode.) The coach also wants the Swede’s right-handed shot on the top power-play unit.
“He’s a valuable guy. He does a lot of things night in, night out that go unnoticed. That we notice but maybe you guys don’t, or the fans,” Berube explained.
“He’s a penalty killer. He’s a hard worker. He does a lot of little things right all over the ice. And he can complement any line.”
Järnkrok scored goals in his first three games of the season, then was surprised to get scratched. Since returning to regular(ish) action, he has just one goal and is minus-8 in 11 outings.
But Nylander’s magic can be contagious.
“He’s one of the best players in the world. Usually, when you give him the puck, something good’s happening,” Järnkrok said.
“He had probably the nicest goal of season — and the biggest blooper, too. So, it was fun to see.”
Laughton is back, again — hopefully for good
An injurious shot block in a meaningless pre-season game. A long rehab and too many days stuck in the gym when he couldn’t jam his damaged foot into a skate boot. Then a return trip to IR after just four periods of hockey.
“The last five or so years, I haven’t dealt with this. So, it’s something new to me and something that I’ve had to deal with, but try and stay grounded,” said Laughton, who makes his second comeback to the lineup Tuesday.
Laughton got rocked down the wall on Nov. 8 by a hard Nikita Zadorov check and missed a dozen days with a suspected concussion.
“It was clean. I honestly thought he was backing up. When I took a peek, he stepped up. I lost the puck a little bit. He’s (six-foot-seven). I’m six-foot. So, there’s going to be some contact there. Got the best of me,” Laughton said.
“I had more of an issue with a couple of his other hits in Boston. But, yeah, I thought it was a clean hit. You got to keep your head up and keep going.”
Did Zadorov reach out to check in with Laughton?
“No. I wouldn’t really want him to, either.”
Laughton will centre Steven Lorentz and rookie Easton Cowan — a trio that impressed with its energy and aggressive forecheck at camp.
“It sucks because he was playing so well in pre-season, and we had that chemistry going that carried over from last year,” said an empathetic Lorentz. “Sucks when you work out all summer and you get hurt in camp, and then you miss a little while. You’re excited to get back, and you played one whole game, and then it was the first period of that Boston game that he was out again for another couple of weeks. So, definitely frustrating.
“A guy like that, he just wants to be around the guys. Such a good locker-room guy and great teammate.”
One-timers: Still no timeline for Matthews’ return to game action. “He’s feeling a lot better, and he’s shooting the puck pretty well. So, that’s a good sign,” Berube said.… Jet Greaves (.904) will tend goal for the Blue Jackets.… Philippe Myers and Sammy Blais will be scratched for Toronto…. The oft-scratched Yegor Chinakhov draws into Columbus’s lineup because coach Dean Evason likes how he matches against Toronto.
Maple Leafs projected lineup Thursday vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Nylander – Tavares – Järnkrok
McMann – Domi – Robertson
Cowan – Laughton – Lorentz
Joshua – Quillan – Maccelli
Rielly – Ekman-Larsson
Benoit – McCabe
Mermis – Stecher
