Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save against Panthers centre Sam Bennett (9) as defenceman Brandon Carlo (25) defends during the second period on May 5 in Toronto.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
After getting over the immediate anger and shock of seeing their starting goaltender knocked out of Monday night’s series-opening win over the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to take the high road Tuesday morning.
With some of the hockey world and many Leaf fans calling for revenge and retaliation, the Leafs chose to focus more on regrouping and reflection, with uncertainty over Anthony Stolarz’s status moving forward in the playoffs of the most immediate concern.
“Yeah I don’t know that yet,” head coach Craig Berube said when asked about Stolarz’s availability for Wednesday’s Game 2. “I’ll probably find out [later] today.”
After helping stake Toronto to a 4-1 lead midway through Monday night’s game, Stolarz was the inadvertent recipient of a forearm to the head from Florida’s Sam Bennett, a noted agitator who is no stranger to playoff skulduggery. His controversial hit on Matthew Knies two years ago can be held up as Exhibit A. Knies ended up with a concussion after being slammed to the ice by the Panthers forward.
There was no penalty called on Monday’s incident, and according to reports Tuesday, Bennett would not receive any supplementary discipline from the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety.
Despite concern for Stolarz, who appeared to be vomiting at the bench following the hit before being taken to hospital for evaluation Monday night, the Maple Leafs re-emphasized the need to maintain discipline in this pivotal moment.
“We can’t control that,” Max Pacioretty said. “We can only worry about what we can control as individuals and as a team, and we always want to stick up for one another and stick together and do it the right way.”
While Stolarz’s status for remains unclear, Leaf players mentioned he was up and walking, and able to interact with them while having breakfast on Tuesday morning.
At about the same time that the Maple Leafs practised, Panthers’ players and coach Paul Maurice addressed journalists at their downtown hotel.
Seth Jones, Florida’s strapping defenceman, said the team was aware that Stolarz, who played for the Panthers last year, was injured.
“We hope [Stolarz] is okay,” Jones said. “It was kind of a bang-bang play in front of the net.”
He does not believe Toronto will enter Game 2 wanting retribution.
“I think [it’s] going to be a physical game regardless,” he said. “We don’t expect it to be any more physical than it would have been already.”
Maurice, who once coached the Maple Leafs and understands their followers, defended Bennett.
“He plays hard,” Maurice said. “There was a hit two-and-a-half years ago that you guys have shown 4,000 times. [Last night] he’s got the puck. He’s on a power play and he goes to the net. We are six games into the playoffs. He took a puck outside the crease and now he is a villain.
“I expected this when I got up this morning but it still surprises me. There were far more egregious collisions in that game but we won’t be talking about them.”
Given the platoon system that Toronto used in goal throughout the regular season – Joseph Woll actually made 42 starts to Stolarz’s 34 – there is a sense of confidence that a change in goaltender won’t scupper the team’s playoff chances. Woll entered the game just after the midway point Monday night, and made 17 saves on 20 shots to pick up the win.
Woll is no stranger to being thrust into the spotlight midway through a playoff series. Two years ago, as a rookie, he took over the starter’s mantle in another second-round series against the Panthers after Ilya Samsonov went down with an injury in Game 3. Woll picked up a win in Game 4 of that series as the Leafs were eliminated in five games.
His level of play this season, where he won 27 games with a .909 save percentage, has the full backing of his teammates.
With a chance to take a 2-0 series lead on Wednesday night, Berube said his team will continue to play hard and physical – on Bennett and every other member of the Panthers – but doesn’t expect anyone to take matters into their own hands.
“I’ve talked to my players about focusing on the game and playing the game hard and playing it the right way,” he said.
“If there’s an opportunity to take the body on somebody, I don’t care who it is, you go through them. But [if] you’re going to go out and you think you’re going to get back at Bennett and you end up in the penalty box, we don’t need that.”
There was a certain irony in Berube calling for emotional discipline in this moment. As a player, he racked up over 3,000 career penalty minutes, good for seventh on the all-time list.
He acknowledged that, if nothing else, it shows how much the game has changed. If someone had knocked his goaltender out of a playoff game, Berube said, restraint would have been the last thing on his team’s mind.
“When I played, somebody would have done something right away,” he said. “Probably me.”
With a report from Marty Klinkenberg