Maple Leafs fans collectively held their breath on Thursday night when starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz was pulled from the game with an apparent injury. It was later announced that he would not return thanks to a lower-body injury and, once again, the worst was feared.
Well, on Friday, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube announced that the 30-year-old goaltender would remain day-to-day until he got back on the ice to see how he felt.
Fortunately for the Maple Leafs have Jospeh Woll who has also had some good numbers this season, but the loss of their netminder certainly comes as a blow.
So far this season, Stolarz has a 9-5-2 record in 17 games played for the Maple Leafs to goal along with a 2.15 goals against average (GAA) and .927 save percentage (SV%) with one shutout.
He sits second in GAA league-wide behind only Connor Hellebuyck and first in SV% while seeing the 22nd most shots against this season (480).
The only benefit of this injury is that the Maple Leafs will get Woll in the net more consistently as he’s also had a great start to his season outside of the injury he suffered in preseason.
Woll is 8-3-0 with a 2.16 GAA and .921 SV% in 11 games this season. He sits third in the NHL in GAA behind Stolarz and Hellebuyck and fourth in SV%, albeit in just 11 games so far.
As for Stolarz’s replacement on the roster for the time being, the Maple Leafs have recalled Dennis Hildeby from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies. Hildeby’s first stint with the Maple Leafs had its bumps as he finished 1-1-0 with a 4.03 GAA and .869 SV% in two games. With the Marlies this season, Hildeby is 2-2-2 with a 2.73 GAA and .897 SV% in six games, so the chances of him seeing the ice with the big club this time around might be minimal.
As for when they expect Stolarz back, Berube was asked if he expected Stolarz back next week.
“Yeah, I do, but, in saying that, again, he’s gotta get on the ice. But it was good news, overall. Let’s just leave it at that,” said Berube.
Until then, the Maple Leafs will likely start Woll in their next game as they get ready to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
