HIGHLIGHTS
- Craig Berube gave an important injury on update on Anthony Stolarz
- The Maple Leafs’ goaltender left Game 1 early with a head injury
- Read below for the full scoop
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the series opener against the Florida Panthers on Monday, but netminder Anthony Stolarz suffered a scary injury and had to exit early after being elbowed by Sam Bennett.
Ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday night, head coach Craig Berube confirmed that Stolarz is still recovering, with Joseph Woll starting in goal. There is no timeline for Stolarz’s return to the crease.
Via ESPN’s Kristen Shilton:
Stolarz was seen puking on the bench during the second period before the Maple Leafs ultimately pulled him. Woll came in and allowed three goals on only 20 shots as Toronto won 5-4.
While Woll started more games during the regular season, Stolarz has been the No. 1 in these playoffs until the injury occurred. The former Panthers goalie was transported to the hospital on a stretcher following Game 1.
Bennett was criticized heavily for his dirty play, and NHL Player Safety didn’t even punish him. Bennett said he reached out to Stolarz to apologize, but he insisted the elbow wasn’t intentional:
“Stollie is a good friend of mine. I reached out to him. He responded,” Bennett said. “Obviously never want to see an injury like that. From my point of view, I’m just taking the puck to the net. I didn’t even know we made contact until after. I’m on the power play, I’m trying to score. I’m taking the puck to the net. That’s really all there was to it.”
Berube is keeping any in-depth updates on Stolarz close to the vest. That being said, it does seem possible he did suffer a concussion. Hopefully, the 31-year-old can play again at some point in this series as the Maple Leafs look to knock off the defending Stanley Cup champions.
