Maple Leafs Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Leaves Game With Injury
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has left the Leafs game against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Leafs are saying Stolarz will not return with what the team calls a lower-body injury. Joseph Woll is now in net for the team to start the second period.
Stolarz was playing a back-to-back game having played in Toronto's last game against New Jersey in a 2-1 overtime win that Stolarz made 38 saves in.
Woll was expected to be the starting netminder as the team has been rotating between the two goalies, but it was Stolarz who got the consecutive game as a sign of faith.
Anthony Stolarz has a 9-5-2 record in 16 games this season for Toronto, along with a 2.13 GAA and a league leading .928 SV%.
Maple Leafs Goaltender Call-up Incoming?
The Leafs may be forced to make a call-up if Stolarz is out for an extended period.
One option that for now is off the table is Matt Murray, who was injured a few days earlier in the American Hockey League.
Toronto has options in net below in the AHL still with Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. Hildeby, 23, has a .2.73 GAA and a .897 SV% in six games with the Marlies, with a 2-2-2 record. Hildeby had two games in the NHL with the Leafs this season.
Akhtyamov, 23, has a 1.84GAA and a .929sv% this season with the Marlies. Akhtyamov has not lost a game in the AHL, having a 8-0-1 record in nine games played.
The Toronto Maple Leafs led the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in the first period of tonight's game.
Max Pacioretty opened the scoring early in the first, with William Nylander doubling the lead for Toronto. Frank Vatrano got one back for Anaheim on the power play to cut the lead down to 2-1. Toronto won the game 3-2.
Insider Provides Us With an Update on Anthony Stolarz
Per head coach Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs will have a better idea of Stolarz's injury per Luke Fox of Sportsnet.
It's also a positive sign that Stolarz's injury seems less significant than anticipated, as Frank Seravalli reports. It's unclear when Stolarz will return, but the Leafs expect to know more tomorrow.
