Toronto Maple Leafs starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz will miss Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube stated that Stolarz is still recovering from a head injury sustained in Game 1, 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 approximately five minutes into the game when Panthers forward Sam Reinhart fired an 82 mph wrist shot that struck Stolarz, knocking his helmet off.
Stolarz appeared shaken by the shot but initially remained in the game.
In the second period, during a scramble for a loose puck in front of the net, the elbow of Florida center Sam Bennett made contact with Stolarz`s head. The Maple Leafs netminder immediately dropped to the ice, holding his head, but once again continued playing briefly.
During the subsequent TV timeout, Stolarz became ill on the Toronto bench and was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
In his postgame press conference, coach Berube commented that it was “clear as day” that Bennett had elbowed Stolarz in the head. The following morning at team practice, Berube remarked that such a play would have been handled very differently in previous eras of hockey.
“When I played, somebody would have done something right away,” Berube said. “Probably me, if I was out there.”
No penalty was called on Bennett during the game, and he will not face supplemental discipline from the NHL. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Bennett, a former teammate of Stolarz, claimed there was no force or intent behind his collision.
“Looking back at the video, I mean the contact that was made was, in my opinion, it`s really just a bump,” Bennett stated. “There is no forceful action. I`m trying to score. The last thing on my mind is thinking about elbowing him in the head. When it happened, I didn`t even realize I made contact.”
Joseph Woll is scheduled to start Game 2 for the Maple Leafs in place of Stolarz. After replacing Stolarz in Game 1, Woll allowed three goals on 20 shots as the Panthers attempted a desperate third-period comeback.
