5 Takeaways: Is Stolarz The Real Deal?
The Anaheim Ducks did not have much time to dwell on the trade deadline , as seven hours after the deadline had passed on Monday, they suited up to take on the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center, blanking those Sharks 4-0 . With just one day off until their following game, they would close out the season series against San Jose with a 4-1 victory. Here are five takeaways from those two contests.
Anthony Stolarz Steals the Show
After being cast aside for the majority of the season, Stolarz has done nothing but impress since getting an opportunity between the Anaheim pipes, notching a .943 save percentage through five games this season. He took that to a ridiculous new level on Monday, though, by not only getting a shutout, but also setting the franchise record for saves in a shutout with 46 stops.
First and foremost, good for Stolarz. The 27-year old has earned everything he’s gotten, working his way through the minors to earn his NHL opportunity. He played in 39 games for San Diego last year, posting a solid .922 save percentage. Stuck on the taxi squad for most of this season, it’s great to see him shine.
One thing that stands out in particular with Stolarz is how calm he is in the net. Unlike John Gibson, for example, who uses his otherworldly athleticism to get to pucks in difficult situations, Stolarz maintains a more conservative approach. Even on this gorgeous, highlight reel glove save, there is still an element of calmness to his game:
A point shot from Burns gets Stolarz down into the butterfly, but seeing that the shot got blocked, the Anaheim netminder quickly pops up to his feet to locate the loose puck. He displays textbook puck tracking, turning his head towards the puck to allow his body to more seamlessly shift towards it:
After having quickly located the loose puck and turning his head towards it, he also establishes a strong plant with his right leg, which allows him to then calmly slide over towards the puck:
Thanks to that excellent initial puck tracking, a push off that doesn’t send him flying out of the crease, Stolarz is able to maintain a composed butterfly stance. With that composure, he’s able to read the puck coming off of Timo Meier’s stick and absolutely rob him of a goal with a picture perfect glove save, flashing some excellent reflexes in the process.
Of course, it’s just one sequence, and it’s still just a handful of games for Stolarz. But he followed up that historic night with another strong outing on Wednesday, turning aside 27 of 28 shots. He now sits 15th among goalies in Evolving Hockey’s Goals Saved Above Expected Model with 3.19 goals saved above expected. With the Expansion Draft looming large this summer, Stolarz could be a candidate for Seattle to pick up.
Haydn Fleury Solid in Debut
Fleury, acquired at the trade deadline in exchange for Jani Hakanpaa and a sixth round draft pick, fits the profile of player that Bob Murray had expressed a desire for: someone in their mid-20’s who could immediately step into the lineup. Thanks to a private plane arrangement, Fleury was able to do just that on Wednesday night, debuting on a pairing next to Kevin Shattenkirk. It wasn’t a highlight-reel kind of performance, but Fleury managed to post some impressive numbers, in particular being on the ice for four high danger chances for, and none against. He showed some flashes of how he can contribute as a puck-mover:
On a pairing next to Shattenirk, Fleury could be in the ideal situation where he can defer to the savvy veteran, as shown at the end of his shift, but also has the confidence to take the puck up ice when he sees fit. He certainly has the mobility for it. There were instances where he got caught in open ice, particularly on the tripping penalty he took against Kevin LaBanc. He appears to generate a good amount of speed on his backwards skating with crossovers, and perhaps we can chalk up some of those less desirable instances to being fresh to the team. So far, so good for the newly-acquired Duck.
Alexander Volkov Cementing His Place
Volkov had himself a series against the Sharks, as he potted two goals on Monday night, and then added another for good measure on Wednesday. All three goals shared a theme: quick hands around the net. Thanks to his imposing frame, Volkov is able to drive into the slot, with a good sense of when to time his dashes as well. He also has the soft hands to finish, which makes for a potent blend of skills. Now, it’s important to maintain some perspective here. Volkov is shooting an astronomically high 40 percent since joining the Ducks. He shot 16.7 percent with the Lightning last year, so perhaps he is a higher conversion rate type of shooter, but with only 35 career games in tow, it’s tough to say. What’s more interesting is how Volkov’s overall game has looked. On this assist, he manages to win control of the puck and makes a quick read to get it back to the point:
Volkov has been used on the penalty kill as well, and he has shown good instincts in that regard. Eakins has deployed him on a line with Derek Grant and Nicolas Deslauriers, which could indicate he is starting to see him as more of a shutdown guy. The numbers don’t necessarily support that assertion quite yet, but the sample is very small. All in all, Volkov’s start in Anaheim is probably exactly what he was looking for in Tampa Bay.
Troy Terry Continues to Shine
Terry is very good. That’s it, that’s the takeaway.
In all seriousness, Terry is continuing to establish himself as one of the Ducks best skaters. His defensive game has always been a strength, but his offensive abilities are beginning to flourish as well. He had another strong five-on-five performance on Wednesday night, all while drawing two penalties and picking up a primary assist on the Ryan Getzlaf tally. Given that he’s locked up for another two years at a $1.45 million cap hit, his deal could become one of the better value contracts in the league, which is great news for Anaheim.
Trevor Zegras Doing Trevor Zegras Things
I fully admit that this has nothing to do with the San Jose series, but come on, Zegras has seven points in five games since being sent back down to the AHL. He’s been piling up the points on the power play, and from the shifts that I’ve been able to catch, hasn’t looked out of place away from the puck as a center. Of course, everyone already knew he could rack up the offense with the man advantage, so I would caution the notion that he should be called up purely based on his production. To close this article out, I’ll leave you with this masterpiece from the man himself.