The Maple Leafs wanted Anthony Stolarz to look good in front of his friends and family. But the giant goaltender from Jackson Township, N.J., about 45 minutes south of Newark, wound up being the solo star.

Thanks to a headstand netminding from Jersey boy Anthony Stolarz and a clutch breakaway finish from Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs won a game they didn’t deserve to win.

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) falls to the ice battling for the puck with New Jersey Devils center Paul Cotter during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) AP

With Scotiabank Arena packed on a December night, the Maple Leafs picked up a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, improving to 15-7-2 (32 points) in the process. While Auston Matthews garnered attention with his first goal back since returning from injury, Anthony Stolarz's performance between the pipes stole the show.

Auston Matthews scored in overtime as the Maple Leafs stole two points from the Devils, despite being heavily outshot.

The New Jersey Devils will get one injured player back on Tuesday night when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Nathan Bastian will return to the lineup for the first time since suffering a jaw injury against the Calgary Flames on Nov.

New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe provided several lineup updates heading into Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most notably, Keefe confirmed that goaltender Jake Allen will miss the game with an upper-body injury,