Maple Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz Making Progress
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz continues to make progress from his injury, head coach Craig Berube told reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters. However, Berube added that Stolarz hasn’t returned to skating.
The team has not formally announced why Stolarz remains out, but he was injured in Game 1 when Florida’s Sam Bennett hit him in the head with his arm, causing Stolarz to leave the game. He was seen vomiting on the bench and was eventually taken to the hospital for evaluation. Berube confirm that Stolarz was doing well and discharged from the hospital later that night. He performed well in the team’s first round series against the Senators, with a .901 save percentage in those six games.
In his place, backup Joseph Woll has done a commendable job, leading Toronto to a 2-1 series lead against the Panthers. However, he has just a .869 save percentage in those games and is coming off of an overtime loss where he let in five goals. It also appears the defending champs are beginning to exploit Woll’s puck handling abilities, per NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. As Berube noted: “A lot of those rims, they’re up, they’re not on the ice, and that’s by design. If they can get a good lick on it, they’re going to put it off the glass, and it’s pretty tough for him to come out and play those. We’re going to have to move it quick.”
Toronto’s goalie situation is in a tough spot with Stolarz’s injury and a sickness to third option Matt Murray, who was unable to suit up for Game 3. Murray’s status for Game 4 isn’t yet known, but if he’s unable to go, it would likely signify that rookie Dennis Hildeby would serve as backup again. Ironically, the most playoff-experienced goaltender on Toronto’s roster is Murray — the same netminder who burst onto the scene with the Pittsburgh Penguins and backstopped them to consecutive Stanley Cup titles. However, since leaving Pittsburgh, his play has declined, and he made only two appearances for Toronto this season.
Anthony Stolarz Does Not Travel With Toronto For Game 3
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz will not travel with the team for their Game 3 matchup against the Florida Panthers, per an ESPN release.
The team has not formally announced why Stolarz remains out, but he was injured in Game 1 when Florida’s Sam Bennett hit him in the head with his arm, causing Stolarz to leave the game. He was seen vomiting on the bench and was eventually taken to the hospital for evaluation. Berube confirm that Stolarz was doing well and discharged from the hospital later that night.
In his place, backup Joseph Woll has done a commendable job, leading Toronto to a 2-0 series lead against the defending champs. One of the more active backups in the league, Woll started half of Toronto’s games this season, securing a 27-14-1 record to go with a .908 save percentage. He also has a .919 career save percentage in the playoffs through nine appearances.
However, the Leafs’ best path forward undoubtedly relies on a healthy tandem of Stolarz and Woll. Ironically, Toronto’s most experienced goalie in the playoffs is their third option, Matt Murray, who burst onto the scene with the Pittsburgh Penguins and helped them secure back-to-back cups. But he hasn’t been the same player since leaving Pittsburgh and appeared in just two games with Toronto this season.
On the season, Stolarz appeared in 34 games with a 21-8-3 record and .926 save percentage. He delivered a strong performance as the team’s primary goaltender during their six-game first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. And although he only appeared in one playoff game last season, Stolarz gained valuable experience serving as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup during Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final — the same team he and the Maple Leafs are now aiming to eliminate.
Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz Ruled Out For Game 2
May 7th: According to a report from Sportsnet, Stolarz will unfortunately be absent from the Maple Leafs’ lineup in Game 2. There’s reportedly no timeline for his recovery, but this could be purposefully vague gamesmanship from Toronto.
May 6th: Anthony Stolarz‘s status for Game 2 of the Maple Leafs’ series against the Panthers is uncertain, David Alter of The Hockey News relays from head coach Craig Berube.
That’s better news than most everyone was expecting after reports surfaced last night that Stolarz was taken to the hospital after leaving the game in the second period following multiple instances of head contact. Berube confirmed he was taken to the hospital but is doing well and had breakfast with the team after being discharged overnight. Stolarz was seen vomiting on the Leafs’ bench before being relieved by Joseph Woll, exiting the eventual 5-4 win after taking a puck to the mask in the first and an elbow/forearm from Panthers center Sam Bennett shortly before his departure. Bennett won’t face a suspension for the play, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic relayed this morning.
Berube wouldn’t confirm when asked if Stolarz had been diagnosed with a concussion. While Stolarz may be healthy enough to dress for Game 2, rushing him back from an otherwise exhausting ordeal to start seems unlikely. Woll is among the more formidable backups still alive in the postseason. He allowed three goals on 20 shots in relief but still has a sparkling .924 SV% in eight career playoff appearances for Toronto, including four starts. Woll started 41 of Toronto’s 82 regular-season games and, while his numbers weren’t in Stolarz’s stratosphere, still managed a .909 SV% and saved 16.8 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck.
In any event, simple news of Stolarz’s discharge and a long-term absence not guaranteed is great news after last night’s concern. The 31-year-old has a .901 SV% and a 2.19 GAA through seven games for Toronto in his first postseason (and regular season) as a No. 1 option.
Morning Notes: Marner, Stars, Buium, Lindholm
The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger Mitch Marner at Sunday morning’s practice, as Marner attends to the birth of his first child. He isn’t expected to miss any time, helped along by Toronto’s second round matchup against the Florida Panthers beginning at home on Monday. Marner finally broke through the 100-point glass ceiling this season, scoring a career-high 102 points in 81 games played. He also recorded just 14 penalty minutes – a career-low. Those marks have carried into the postseason, with Marner netting one goal, eight points, and no penalties in six games of the first round. He is notably just under two months away from hitting the open market, unless Toronto can manage an eight-figure contract extension before July 1st. Marner is performing at a top mark at the perfect time – but he’ll have to hold onto the scoring role if Toronto wants to get by a Panthers lineup that averaged the fifth-most goals-per-game in the first round.
Other notes from around the league:
- Dallas Stars head coach told the media on Sunday that it is still unlikely Jason Robertson or Miro Heiskanen are ready for the start of the second round, per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. DeBoer did share a glimmer of hope, though, adding that both players should be good to go at some point during round two. The Stars lineup will undeniably improve when they receive their top goal-scorer and top defender back from prolonged injury – an exciting thought to consider after they beat the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game series. Robertson and Heiskanen – who both have returned to skating at optional practices – will have at least four more games to work their way back into the lineup.
- Star prospect Zeev Buium only appeared in four games before the Minnesota Wild were eliminated from playoff contention. He performed well in those appearances, netting one assist and four penalty minutes from a depth role, and now faces the a transitional summer as he moves from college to the NHL full-time. Buium hasn’t shared too many details of what the summer will look like, but he did announce that he’ll join Team USA at the World Championship, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Buium represented his country at the World U18 Championshp in 2023 – netting six points in seven games – and at each of the last two World Juniors – where he combined for 11 points in 14 games. Now, he’ll get to join the Americans at the top flight – stepping onto a blue-line full of young-and-upcoming defensive talent. Buium will fight for a role over Mason Lohrei, Jackson LaCombe, and Michael Kesselring.
- Speaking of Worlds, the Boston Bruins have shared that centerman Elias Lindholm will join the Team Sweden roster immediately. Lindholm hasn’t played at this tournament since 2019, when he scored six points in eight games. That was Lindholm’s third-consecutive season joining the Swedes at the World Championship. Across the trio of years, he combined for 19 points in 26 games. Lindholm’s only opportunity to represent Sweden since 2020 came earlier this year, when he participated in three games of the 4-Nations Face-Off and managed no scoring. Lindholm totaled 47 points in 82 games of the NHL season, his lowest scoring pace since he recorded 21 points in 58 games as a rookie.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Fourteen Black Aces
Now that the AHL’s Toronto Marlies season has ended at the hands of the Cleveland Monsters, the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to recall several players for their playoff run. As announced by the team, the recalled players are as follows:
F Nicholas Abruzzese
D Matt Benning
G Dennis Hildeby
F Roni Hirvonen
F Reese Johnson
D Mikko Kokkonen
G Matt Murray
F Alexander Nylander
D Topi Niemelä
F Jacob Quillan
D Marshall Rifai
F Alex Steeves
D William Villeneuve
D Cade Webber
There will certainly be a concrete pecking order should the Maple Leafs fall into any injury trouble during their postseason run. Steeves, Nylander, and Abruzzese should get the call for forwards, while Villeneuve and Murray will lead their respective positions.
Steeves recently recorded the first point-per-game season of his career. Leading all Marlies players, Steeves scored 36 goals and 62 points in 59 contests.
Meanwhile, Villeneuve set the scoring pace from the blue line. In an increase of magnitude from his previous two years with the club, Villeneuve recorded four goals and 40 points in 55 games with a +12 rating.
Hopefully, for Toronto’s sake, they won’t need any of the 14 call-ups to play, especially as they look to close out the Ottawa Senators this evening. Still, considering the numerous injuries they dealt with during the regular season, the Maple Leafs could rely on one or a few of these players to make their mark on the 2025 postseason.
John Tavares Clears Concussion Protocol
- Despite failing to close the series in Game 4, the Toronto Maple Leafs have avoided a serious injury to one of their top centers. According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, a concussion spotter pulled Maple Leafs forward John Tavares during overtime in Game 4, but he cleared the tests to return. The concussion spotter’s worry likely came from Tavares receiving a high hit from Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub in front of Ottawa’s net, which made contact with Tavares’ head.
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Ontario Notes: Warmups, Green, Matthews
The Senators are facing potential league discipline for “pregame shenanigans” in warmups before last night’s Game 3 overtime loss, relays Darren Dreger of TSN. The NHL is investigating whether to assess fines or other penalties to the organization for shooting pucks at Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz at the opposing end of the rink. It’s hard to imagine that affecting Ottawa’s roster construction ability as they face a sweep in Game 4 on Saturday. Incidents of that nature usually only ever draw fines assessed to the organization at large, assuming any supplemental discipline is handed down at all. It’s still an unwelcome distraction for the Sens as they try to avoid going winless in their first postseason appearance in eight years.
Here’s more on the Battle of Ontario:
- As discouraging as a second straight overtime loss was, Senators head coach Travis Green remains quite pleased with how his team has fared in the series, writes Julian McKenzie of The Athletic. “I liked a lot — we were ready to play. I liked our start. I thought Toronto pushed like a good team does. I thought we hung in there. It was a pretty even game,” Green said. Goaltender Linus Ullmark added, “We’ve said it from the start it’s going to be a long one. It’s going to be a tight one and we’re going to do everything in our power to make it to seven (games) now.” The Senators have outshot the Leafs 81-65 during the series, but a disastrous 44.4% showing on the penalty kill and Ullmark’s -3.9 goals saved above expected (per MoneyPuck) have been enough to swing the series in Toronto’s favor.
- While Leafs captain Auston Matthews has continued an underwhelming season in the goal-scoring department with one snipe through three games against Ottawa, his all-around play has still made him one of the most dominant players in the postseason thus far, Michael Amato of Sportsnet opines. “He’s great at creating turnovers, and when you do that often enough, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to turn defense into offense on a quick counterattack,” Amato writes. “Matthews demonstrated that in Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators, breaking up a pass in the defensive zone and quickly threading a perfect feed to Marner for a breakaway, as the Leafs never looked back in claiming a dominant opening game victory.” Of course, Matthews is still tied for seventh in postseason scoring with an additional four assists.
Max Pacioretty Entering Lineup For Game 3
- Maple Leafs winger Max Pacioretty will draw into the lineup for Game 3 on a line with Game 2 overtime hero Max Domi and Bobby McMann, according to line rushes at morning skate (via Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN). He’s been out since the 4 Nations break with an undisclosed injury, but was available if needed for Games 1 and 2. After sitting as a healthy scratch, he’ll come in for Nicholas Robertson, who has an assist in the series but just one shot attempt in over 20 minutes of ice time across the two games. The 36-year-old Pacioretty scored 5-8–13 in 37 regular-season games for the Leafs between injury-related absences.
Maple Leafs Recall Artur Akhtyamov
The Maple Leafs added some goaltending depth before puck drop in Sunday’s series opener against Ottawa. The team announced (Twitter link) that they recalled netminder Artur Akhtyamov from AHL Toronto to serve as their third goaltender for the time being.
The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Maple Leafs back in 2020, going 106th overall. He spent the next three seasons primarily playing at the VHL level (one tier below the KHL) with his 2022-23 performance being a stellar one that saw him post a 1.73 GAA and a .943 SV% in 39 regular season games with Neftyanik Almetievsk before improving on those in six postseason outings.
That was enough for Toronto to sign Akhtyamov to a three-year, entry-level deal back in July 2023 although they loaned him back overseas last season. That allowed him to see some regular KHL action, getting in 17 games with Ak Bars Kazan along with 19 outings with Neftyanik before coming to North America this season.
This year, Akhtyamov played in 26 games for the Marlies, second among their goalies with the team largely running through three netminders this season. In those outings, he posted a 2.81 GAA along with a .901 SV%. The other two goaltenders – Dennis Hildeby and Matt Murray – will remain with the Marlies for their playoff run which gets underway on Thursday in Cleveland.
McCabe, Ekman-Larsson, Kämpf, Pacioretty Return For Round One
Saturday: Defenseman Jani Hakanpää will be the only rostered player on the Toronto Maple Leafs who won’t be available for the team in their Round One matchup against the Ottawa Senators. In an article from Luke Fox of Sportsnet, Fox reports that defensemen Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and forwards David Kämpf and Max Pacioretty will be available for Toronto on Monday.
Given that the Maple Leafs have few issues scoring goals, McCabe and Ekman-Larsson are the most notable returnees, particularly concerning the team’s penalty kill. Despite finishing the year with a 77.87% success rate, Toronto’s kill average dropped to 75.00% throughout their final seven games without McCabe. The Maple Leafs’ penalty kill ranked just below the NHL average of 78.36%, which could be an avenue to success for Ottawa, given their capable 11th-ranked powerplay.
With respect to the Senators and their season, they arguably present Toronto with their best opportunity to reach Round Two of the postseason for the second time in nine years. After finishing the regular season on a 12-2-1 tear, having a wholly healthy roster for Round One will do nothing but help the Maple Leafs’ chances.