The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t get any goaltending relief after a brutal 6-1 loss in Game 5. Head coach Craig Berube told the media that starter Anthony Stolarz is doubtful to travel to Game 6 on Friday, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Stolarz skated at the team’s morning practice, but exited the ice after more than 30 minutes. Stolarz’s injury hasn’t been technically specified, though it seems clear it’s a head injury after he received multiple headshots and was seen throwing up during Game 1 of the second round.
Stolarz has been Toronto’s rock for much of the season. He posted a .926 save percentage and a 21-8-3 record during the regular season – the highest save percentage and fourth-highest win percentage from a Leafs starter since 2000. Toronto’s backup, Joseph Woll, hasn’t matched Stolarz’s shutdown presence when healthy. Woll posted a .909 save percentage and 27-14-1 record in 42 games this season, earning the lion’s share of minutes while Stolarz battled injuries. Woll’s save percentage has dipped to .877 in five postseason appearances. He allowed six goals in his latest outing, which could be enough for Toronto to award veteran backup Matt Murray with just his second playoff start since the 2019-20 season. Murray posted a .934 save percentage in 21 AHL games this season.
Other notes from around the league:
- Penguins forward prospect Filip Hallander was named the SHL’s Forward of the Year this season, the league announced on Thursday. He scored a career-high 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games this season, good for second in the league in total points behind David Tomasek’s 57 points in 47 games. Hallander signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh at the tail-end of the SHL season, cementing his return to North America after spending the last two seasons in Sweden. He scored 61 points in 104 AHL games between 2021 and 2023, and added three scoreless NHL appearances. Hallander can now use the momentum from this award-winning season to notch his first NHL points next season.
- After an injury-plagued season, it doesn’t appear the Avalanche will retain the signing rights to 2023 seventh-round pick Maros Jedlicka, relays Brennan Vogt of Mile High Sports. The 22-year-old Slovak forward spent the latter half of this season on a minor-league deal with AHL Colorado but was limited to five points in 18 games. He missed all of the 2023-24 season due to injury and managed just 12 appearances for HC Kometa Brno in Czechia before terminating his contract there early this season.
I just hope if the Leafs are down big, somebody has the guts to runover Bob and turn his knee inside-out. The NHL could’ve suspended Bennett, but it didn’t. Justice is yet to be served.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
That punk Domi tried the same thing in game 5 except he wasn’t trying to score a goal as was Bennett. The NHL should be ashamed they let the Leafs get away with the cheap shots and nonsense they have in the last two games.
Domi should’ve tried a little harder. Not a max effort there.
Bennett knew what he was doing. The NHL should be ashamed it allowed Florida to knock out the opposing goalie with zero repercussions.
Stolarz isn’t really hurt now. Berube is keeping that excuse in his back pocket for when the Leafs inevitably lose.
It would add to the lore of 1967.
I don’t promote injuring other players, but the NHL really should be ashamed of itself for this one. I get it didn’t “look” like a massive thing but why spout protecting players and specifically goalies when, in the instance one is injured, you turn a blind eye.
Ill agree to protecting goalies more. Every time a player cuts thru the crease the goalie is at risk. We both agree the “elbow” in question didnt look like much compared to alot of the other dangerous hits thst have been played out in all the series. Which is probably why the league did nothing suspension wise. It was really a perfect storm… remember stolarz took a very strong wrist shot off the mask enough to send his mask flying. They 100% rung his bell good. Possibly triggering his concussion stolarz has concussion issue in juniors and a couple times in nhl. As we all know once you’ve had them they dont take much to come back. Combine the bell rung with hyper focus and overheating and now add in the whiplash from Bennett crashing the crease. And you have the end result.
For leaf fans to complain about officiating or lack of discipline from the league is laughable. They have benefited the entire series from questionable calls and lack of rightful supplemental discipline from the league. In game 1 the deciding goal came after a non call against Reinhardt at the other end leading directly to an odd man goal the other way. In game 2 the ridiculous embellishment call against Rodriguez. In game 4; you have the Ekman-Larson hit on Rodriguez that deserved discipline as it wasn’t even close and a headshot. And of course Domi trying to blatantly injure Barkov at the end of the game and no further discipline. And of course all of the stupid antics at the end of game 5. Yet after all that the Panthers look to put them away on Friday