The Toronto Maple Leafs have yet to determine Anthony Stolarz’s status for Game 2 of their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers after the No. 1 goaltender was knocked out of Game 1 with an apparent head injury.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, coach Craig Berube said that the team did not yet know if Stolarz had a concussion, and he declined to rule him out for Wednesday’s game.
TSN reported that Stolarz was helped out of the arena on a stretcher after Toronto’s 5-4 win in on Monday and taken to a local hospital. Stolarz has since been released from the hospital and was in the team facility Tuesday.
“I think he’s doing well. I’ll allow coach to give any updates on that,” Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo said. “But, overall, I liked the way that he looked this morning when I got to see him for a smile at breakfast, so that’s always a good thing.”
Stolarz stopped eight of nine shots before exiting midway through the second period, a few minutes after Panthers center Sam Bennett hit him in the back of the head with his elbow as he was skating by. No penalty was called on the play.
Television cameras caught Stolarz vomiting into a bucket near the Maple Leafs’ bench before the team pulled him from the game.
Joseph Woll, in his first NHL game since April 17, made 17 saves but allowed three goals in relief. The Maple Leafs will turn to Woll in Game 2 if Stolarz can’t go.
Bennett and Stolarz were teammates last season — Stolarz was the No. 2 goaltender on a Florida squad that won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history — and Bennett said Thursday that he reached out to the goaltender privately.
“Stolie’s a good friend of mine. I reached out to him. He responded,” Bennett said. “Obviously, you never want to see an injury like that. From my point of view, I’m taking a puck to the net. I didn’t even know we made contact until after. I’m on the power play. I’m trying to score.”
Berube, though, called the elbow to the head “clear as day” and called on the league’s Department of Player Safety to investigate the play.
–Field Level Media
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