Toronto Maple Leafs Receive Injury News on Two Key Players During Practice
The Maple Leafs have a tough divisional game on Monday night versus Tampa, but ahead of their game they saw two important names take the ice.
Coming off an outstanding 7-3 comeback victory on Saturday against Montreal, the Maple Leafs are headed home to face the Lightning in a tough matchup as the Leafs try to extend their Atlantic lead.
For the most part, the team has been healthy and avoided disaster recently, and they have started to finally look like the team fans expected. They are still missing some pieces however are weathering the storm as best they can.
So when Toronto stepped foot on the ice Monday for practice ahead of their game, they were surprisingly joined by two very important players.
Anthony Stolarz and Calle Jarnkrok were seen skating and getting some reps while working with the Leafs' return-to-play staff as they continue working toward their eventual return.
Anthony Stolarz And Calle Jarnkrok Close To Returning
It's a massive boost to morale that Stolarz and Jarnkrok are on the mend, and their timing couldn't be better.
While it's been speculated that both men will still be out until at least the start of February (and possibly a bit longer for Jarnkrok), that sets the team up perfectly to have both pieces back at one of the most crucial parts of the season.
The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament offers Toronto a break too, as it runs from Feb 12-20, and with Toronto only playing a handful of games before then, it's another near two weeks for both men to recover.
When Stolarz comes back he will re-join Joseph Woll as part of the NHL's best goaltending tandems, and if he can regain the same type of form he had before he went down, it spells great news for the Maple Leafs.
Before going down, he had a 9-5-2 record with a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% and was giving Toronto the stability in net they've desperately sought out for years. Signed to a bargain two-year, $5M deal this summer, he's been better than advertised and proven he's more than just an elite backup.
Jarnkrok would add the third line center help Toronto needs as well, and though it might take him a bit to get back to form, if he can provide serviceable defense and penalty killing, that's a big boost come the end stretch of the season.
Craig Berube expects Jarnkrok to get back to more aggressive reps and drills in the next couple of weeks and gauge things from there, so his appearance on the ice only six days later is impressive.
Whenever either man returns it will be a huge boost to the lineup, and their appearance at practice on Monday is a good sign that Toronto is going to get even stronger in due time.
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