Maple Leafs G Anthony Stolarz remains under evaluation and will not return to tonight’s game.
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Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz leaves Game 1 vs. Panthers with apparent injury
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
By Alex Hobson
May 5, 2025, 21:52 EDTUpdated: May 6, 2025, 01:30 EDT
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left Game 1 of the second round against the Florida Panthers with an apparent injury.
The play question involved Panthers forward Sam Bennett in the second period. Bennett pushed the puck into the crease in an attempt to create some havoc in front of the net and caught Stolarz in the head with an elbow on the way by.
and now Woll is in the game
Stolarz was slow to get up but he remained in the game initially. The 31-year-old left the game at 9:29 of the second period, right as the Leafs were set to take the ice for a power play. It’s worth noting that Stolarz also took a shot to the mask from Sam Reinhart earlier in the game, which could have possibly contributed to the pull.
first save of the night for Stolarz off the chin
Bennett has an earned reputation around the league for plays like this, and it’s not his first run-in with the Maple Leafs in the playoffs. He got tied up with Matthew Knies behind his own net in Game 2 of the second round in 2022-23 and slammed him to the ground, resulting in the then-rookie leaving the game and ultimately the series with a concussion.
It’s worth noting that Stolarz did not appear to be pulled from the game by a concussion spotter, as his counterpart in Joseph Woll would have been entitled to a warmup before play resumed.
If Stolarz had been pulled by spotter, Woll is eligible for a warmup. So doesn't look like a mandatory pull
Joseph Woll is in for Stolarz...a few minutes ago, Stolarz took an elbow from Sam Bennett
That said, it was revealed at intermission that Stolarz was sick on the bench before he left the game..
They mopped up the area of the Leafs bench during the second intermission where Anthony Stolarz appeared to be sick before he was removed from the game.
Stolarz had stopped eight of nine shots at the time of his injury and came into Game 1 with a 2.21 goals-against average (GAA) and a .901 save percentage in six games against the Ottawa Senators in Round 1.
Woll hadn’t played a game since the final regular season game of the season against the Detroit Red Wings, a 4-3 overtime win, but he’s proven to be able to be effective coming into the game in relief, especially in the playoffs. He stopped 52 of 54 shots in Games 5 and 6 against the Boston Bruins in last year’s first round before suffering an injury at the end of Game 6.
Stolarz reportedly left the arena on a stretcher. Woll closed out the game in Stolarz’s absence, making 17 saves, as the Leafs defeated the Panthers 5-4 on Monday.
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