Toronto Maple Leafs starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz will be unavailable for Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. Head coach Craig Berube stated that Stolarz is still recovering from a head injury sustained during the first game of the series, according to a report by Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
In the Maple Leafs` 5-4 victory on Monday, Stolarz received two significant impacts to the head. The first occurred just five minutes into the game when Panthers forward Sam Reinhart unleashed an 82 mph wrist shot that knocked Stolarz`s helmet completely off.
Stolarz was visibly shaken by the powerful shot but continued playing for a short time afterward.
Later, in the second period, during a scramble for a loose puck in front of the net, the elbow of Florida center Sam Bennett contacted Stolarz`s head. The Maple Leafs netminder immediately fell to the ice, holding his head, but once again remained in the game briefly.
During the subsequent television timeout, Stolarz became unwell on the Toronto bench and had to be transported to the hospital for further medical evaluation.
In his postgame press conference, Berube described the incident with Bennett as `clear as day,` indicating a deliberate elbow to Stolarz`s head. The following morning at team practice, Berube commented on how such a play would have been handled differently in the past.
Berube remarked, “When I played, somebody would have responded immediately. Probably me, if I were on the ice.”
No penalty was called on Bennett during the game, and the NHL has not imposed any supplemental discipline. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Bennett, a former teammate of Stolarz, claimed the contact was merely a “bump” with no force or malicious intent behind it.
Bennett explained, “Reviewing the video, in my view, the contact was merely a bump. There was no forceful action intended. My focus was on scoring. The last thing I was thinking about was elbowing him in the head. I didn`t even realize contact occurred at the moment.”
Joseph Woll is scheduled to start Game 2 as Stolarz`s replacement. After taking over for Stolarz in Game 1, Woll allowed three goals on 20 shots as the Panthers attempted a desperate third-period comeback.
