TORONTO — Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz won’t play in Game 2 against the Panthers on Wednesday as he continues to recover after being on the receiving end of an elbow from Sam Bennett in the opener.
Stolarz exited midway through the second period Monday after the netminder took a puck to the face that knocked his mask off and then later was elbowed in the head by Bennett. Following the Bennett hit, Stolarz vomited on the Maple Leafs bench and eventually was transported to a hospital.
No penalty was called on the play, and Bennett received no supplemental discipline from the NHL.
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube didn’t rule Stolarz out for Game 2 until Wednesday morning, confirming that Joseph Woll would start for Toronto with veteran Matt Murray serving as backup.
“Anthony is recovering,” Berube said. “He’s fine. He’s doing OK.”
Berube would not detail the nature of the injury and said he “didn’t have an answer” as to whether Stolarz would be available to suit up again in the second round.
Stolarz started all six games for the Maple Leafs in their first-round series win over the Ottawa Senators, posting a 4-2 record and .902 save percentage. He made eight saves on nine shots in Monday’s game before Woll stepped in to finish the job and deliver Toronto a 5-4 win.
The Maple Leafs are bracing for a Panthers pushback in Game 2. Florida will have Aaron Ekblad back from a two-game suspension for elbowing Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Hagel in the first round.
At the same time, Toronto can’t be undisciplined over any residual emotion from the Bennett play. Berube said Tuesday that his team can’t seek retribution on Bennett that could result in power plays for the Panthers.
Stolarz was back at the Maple Leafs’ practice facility Tuesday, which was a welcome sight for teammates.
“It’s just about checking in on him,” defenseman Brandon Carlo said. “We all care first and foremost about the human being rather than the hockey player. That’s the most important part, and we’re just reminding him of that and definitely trying to boost his spirits. We want to be there for the human being, and the hockey player will be back before you know it.”
Woll and Stolarz played in tandem throughout the regular season, and Woll carried the load in net when Stolarz missed 23 games following knee surgery midway through the year. Woll finished the season 27-14-1 with a .909 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average.
The 26-year-old Woll also has experience stepping into playoff action partway through. He took over for Ilya Samsonov in Game 5 of the Maple Leafs’ first-round series against the Boston Bruins last year, posting back-to-back victories that kept Toronto alive to force a Game 7. Woll also replaced an injured Samsonov in the Maple Leafs’ second-round series against the Panthers in 2023.
Carlo was patrolling the Bruins’ blue line last season when Woll pulled off his consecutive victories and has seen firsthand since arriving in Toronto at the trade deadline what makes the goaltender so effective.
“Playing in front of him for the last little part of the season there, I recognized how calm he is in the net, and that’s something that carries its way outward throughout the defensive core as well,” Carlo said. “So I love that about him. He’s a young guy as well, and so to have that [calm] is pretty impressive. We’re very lucky to have a great goalie tandem, and we have faith in both guys.”
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews lauded Woll for being “very focused, very level-headed; mentally he’s resilient.” Toronto’s focus now is on making Woll’s job as easy as possible in the hunt for a 2-0 series lead.
“He’s got some experience coming into the middle of a series, so that always helps,” John Tavares said. “When you’ve been through it a little bit, you get a little bit of a feel of what that’s like. He’s always played tremendous hockey for us in his time here, and I know he’s excited about getting the opportunity.”
