The Toronto Maple Leafs may be without Anthony Stolarz for the near future. Despite starting against ht Anaheim Ducks, the goaltender did not return to his crease to begin the second period. Therefore, Joseph Woll was called in to take Stolarz’s place between the pipes.
Stolarz Will Not Return
After allowing one goal on eight shots by the Ducks, Stolarz’s shift ended a little early. The Leafs goaltender played a decent first period and never seemed out of sync. However, it was announced by the Maple Leafs going into the second period that Stolarz would not return to the game due to a lower-body injury. He made plenty of saves in tight and stopped high-danger chances with ease against his former team before being sidelined.
Maple Leafs G Anthony Stolarz (lower body) will not return to tonight’s game.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 13, 2024
It’s unclear what made Stolarz leave the game, there weren’t any distinct moments where he looked uncomfortable. There must’ve been some dialogue in the dressing room during the intermission that led to the decision to switch the mask to a baseball cap. Head coach Craig Berube and the rest of the crew have been very cautious with all of their players this season. Going back to Auston Matthews‘ injury, the Leafs didn’t want to take any chances with his health. There’s a possibility that Stolarz was feeling some small discomfort. Due to the stability of Toronto’s goaltending situation, there is less of a risk of letting Stolarz rest for the remainder of the contest.
Among the League’s Best
The Maple Leafs have gotten great goaltending this season so far. Furthermore, going into this game, Stolarz led the league in save percentage among goalies who played at least 10 games this season. He beats out players like Connor Hellebuyck with a .928 save percentage. Before this game against Anaheim, Stolarz stood on his head against the New Jersey Devils. He stole a win at the Prudential Center in a game Toronto had no business winning. The Leafs came out with a 2-1 overtime win with the shots 39-17 for New Jersey. Stolarz finished the game with a .974 save percentage for his ninth win of the season.
More news and details to come on the injury.
Main Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The post Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltender Does Not Return To Action appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.