The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a tight battle against the New York Rangers on Saturday night following a dominant performance in net by Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin. Although the final score was 4-1, it’s worth noting that the game was closer than the initial glance at the scoresheet would suggest, with two empty net goals sealing the deal for the Rangers. It’s also worth mentioning this because, again, Anthony Stolarz was solid in between the pipes for the Maple Leafs. He stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced and gave the Maple Leafs every chance to stay in the game — they just couldn’t solve the Rangers’ counterpart.
Stolarz’s effectiveness to start the year let to a collective stopping of the hearts of Leafs fans tuned in when, twice during the game, play was stopped with Stolarz appearing to have trouble standing up and moving around without assistance. And, in both instances, it was proven to be an equipment-related issue. He elaborated on the issue when talking to the media postgame.
“I looked down, and kinda just saw a skate inside my pad, and it was Benny’s skate that got up in there, and I kind of felt something,” Stolarz said. “I wear those cut-proof socks, I had an incident back in junior so maybe a little PTSD there. didn’t know if I felt anything or if it was just the adrenaline, so I just kind of wanted to make sure there was no cut.”
It may have been immediate relief for the fans to see that he wasn’t injured, especially after Joseph Woll’s injury prior to the season opener, but the fact that there was no whistle was an annoyance for the Maple Leafs’ goaltender.
Stolarz on lost blade: “It’s about player safety. I’m sitting there not realizing and kicking out, and your groin is just kinda going…. If it’s an imminent scoring chance, I understand it, but the puck is at the other end. I don’t really understand why they can just blow it.” https://t.co/SDB4JjxBBB
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) October 20, 2024
While Stolarz has been in net for each of the Maple Leafs’ two losses so far, he has yet to allow more than two goals in a single game, early on proving to be well worth the $2.5 million annually he’s being paid. For everything in tonight’s game to be nothing more than a precaution is a big sigh of relief for a team that’s been thriving under the steady play of their goaltenders early on in the season.
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